If you have even the slightest inkling to read this book, go buy it now and put it at the top of your TBR.

White Tears / Brown Scars is a remarkable, essential work. Hamad writes with extraordinary clarity and thoughtfulness, exposing the persistent systemic oppression of women of color and the intentionally cultivated cultural disdain for anything that even remotely threatens white supremacy. She outlines white women’s unique role in this oppression and calls out the cultural narcissism required to keep alive such a complex communal delusion. This will easily make my top three antiracism recommendations & would pair well with Ijeoma Oluo’s Mediocre. 

I saw someone describe this book as Hood Feminism 201, and I think that’s a helpful characterization. This is not the starting point for an antiracism (re)education. If you have not yet addressed white fragility & accepted white supremacy as a significant threat to our collective flourishing, this book could be overwhelming. Hit those topics first and then circle back here to continue your journey. 

Once you pick it up, prepare to be brought along on an exceptional, scholarly exploration of the roots and tools of white supremacy, how women of color are caricatured and silenced, and the extremely dangerous weaponization of White Womanhood. What makes this book especially extraordinary is the writing style. Hamad somehow delivers deep truths in a way that is both sober and passionate. She communicates the depth of pain caused and simultaneously presents logical arguments for the dismantling of the responsible systems. To be frank, I wanted to highlight the entire book.