White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color

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That the voices of “women of colour” are getting louder and more influential is a testament less to the accommodations made by the dominant white culture and more to their own grit in a society that implicitly – and sometimes explicitly – wants them to fail. White women can oscillate between their gender and their race, between being the oppressed and the oppressor. Women of colour are never permitted to exist outside of these constraints: we are both women and people of colour and we are always seen and treated as such. A] provocative exploration of the ways—both historic and current—that white women have been dangerous agents of white supremacy . . . Hamad is a rigorous historical reporter and a powerful storyteller, and her work in White Tears/Brown Scars will leave readers appropriately unsettled, enraged, and urged to take action against the Amy Coopers of the world." —Kristin Iversen, Refinery29 P owerful and provocative’– Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, author of the Sunday Times bestselling How to be an Antiracist

An essential guide for those who want to be truly intersectional in their feminism. Ruby Hamad skillfully distills history, academic research, and lived experiences of women of color to create an engaging inquiry into white supremacy and the role of white women within it."—Zeba Talkhani, author of My Past Is a Foreign Country From the Publisher I listened to the audiobook daily while I workout in the gym, and my first thought when the book was over was to yell in my head: “NOOOOO!! I NEED TO HEAR MORE FROM THIS AWESOME AUTHOR!” Taking us from the slave era, when white women fought in court to keep “ownership” of their slaves, through the centuries of colonialism, when they offered a soft face for brutal tactics, to the modern workplace, White Tears/Brown Scars tells a charged story of white women’s active participation in campaigns of oppression. It offers a long overdue validation of the experiences of women of color. The racialisation of slavery and its pecuniary place in American society meant it wasn’t a minor feature but what that society was constructed around.” Amid a sea of recent books about white women's commitment to white supremacy, White Tears/Brown Scars stands out."— Bitch

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Despite covering a great deal of content, the message and intent behind the text remain clear. Readers engaged with issues of race and feminism in Western countries will find this a powerful read." - Library Journal

It is not weakness or guilt that compels me to capitulate. Rather, as I recently wrote, it is the manufactured reputation Arabs have for being threatening and aggressive that follows us everywhere. In a society that routinely places imaginary “ wide-eyed, angry and Middle Eastern” people at the scenes of violent crimes they did not commit, having a legitimate grievance is no match for the strategic tears of a white damsel in distress whose innocence is taken for granted.

Melbourne University Publishing seeks to reflect its place in Victoria, Australia, and South-East Asia through the books we publish. A compelling critique of the ways in which the woman of colour is pilloried and crucified at the altar of white fragility.” Dr. Mridula Nath Chakraborty

Whiteness is more than skin colour. It is a system that privileges those racial, cultural and religious identities that most resemble the typical characteristics associated with the white Western Europeans who created the system in their image. And this system of white supremacy is now so ingrained it can exist without white people." of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby HamadWhile I recommend this to all white people, I warn you: it's not the easiest book to read. It WILL put you in your place and call you out. You WILL feel uncomfortable. You might even get angry. That's OK, you still need to read it. Taking us from the slave era, when white women fought in court to keep 'ownership' of their slaves, through centuries of colonialism, when women offered a soft face for brutal tactics, to the modern workplace, in which tears serve as a defense to counter accusations of bias and micro-aggressions, White Tears/Brown Scars tells a charged story of white women's active participation in campaigns of oppression. It offers a long-overdue validation of the experiences of women of colour and an urgent call-to-arms in the need for true intersectionality. White Tears/Brown Scars belongs in twenty–first–century feminist canon. It's grounded in deep historical context, yet thoroughly of the present. It makes bold intellectual arguments, but is extremely readable and grounded in human experience. If you are a white woman, it may make for uncomfortable reading: this book takes the most precise scalpel to the way that white women leverage race and gender of any book that I've read. If you are a woman of color, perhaps it will make you feel seen. If you are a man, read it for your own education! Hamad has written a truly exceptional, agenda–setting work."—Rachel Hills, author of The Sex Myth

A] provocative exploration of the ways—both historic and current—that white women have been dangerous agents of white supremacy . . . Hamad is a rigorous historical reporter and a powerful storyteller, and her work in White Tears/Brown Scars will leave readers appropriately unsettled, enraged, and urged to take action against the Amy Coopers of the world.”—Kristin Iversen, Refinery29 In a similar vein, bell hooks notes that although white American men in that era appeared to revere the virtue of white women, they didn’t seem to like them very much. In other words: it’s all a performance, a façade. But it is a façade that white women have insisted on sustaining, to their own detriment as well as ours.” And so “white damsel” as an archetype was one of racial purity, Christian morality, sexual innocence, demureness, and financial dependence on men all rolled into one. A privilege, yes, but a perilous one, for to step off this pedestal meant no longer being regarded as a “woman.” A white man raping a white woman is not a threat to white male power, and if it destroys or threatens to destroy the woman’s life, then so be it. And this, I believe, is why, despite all our claims, our society still does not take violence against women seriously. When perpetrated by white men, frequently either such violence is ignored or the blame is heaped onto the victim. It is only when white women are violated or even imagined to be violated by nonwhite men that white society suddenly seems to find its moral compass.” Do the work to dismantle your own prejudices in this guided workbook from New York Timesbest-selling author and thinker Roxane Gay.

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I read this for a book circle. I didn't really like the writing or the absolutist tone but can recognize this book has an important message and opportunity for reflection at its core. The historical stuff was quite interesting. Our mission is to foster a universal passion for reading by partnering with authors to help create stories and communicate ideas that inform, entertain, and inspire. Taking us from the slave era, when white women fought in court to keep ‘ownership’ of their slaves, through centuries of colonialism, when women offered a soft face for brutal tactics, to the modern workplace, in which tears serve as a defense to counter accusations of bias and micro-aggressions, White Tears/Brown Scars tells a charged story of white women’s active participation in campaigns of oppression. It offers a long-overdue validation of the experiences of women of colour and an urgent call-to-arms in the need for true intersectionality. Ron Rash is renowned for his writing about Appalachia, but his latest book, The Caretaker, begins ... The Brisbane Writers Festival has a slew of MUP authors this year dedicated to sharing their personal memories, discussing timely political issues, examining cultural abuse, disseminating government systems and demystifying gender. Scroll through our blog post to uncover all we have on offer at BWF this year.