What's Up with White Women?: Unpacking Sexism and White Privilege in Pursuit of Racial Justice

Product Description
As a white woman, ask yourself: are you upholding or fighting racism?
What's Up with White Women? is a practical guide for white women who are interested in becoming more effective in their cross-cultural, anti-racist practices.
Blending real-life stories, theory, and anti-racism practices from decades of on-the-ground work, the authors invite white women to understand their gendered role in systemic racism and their unique opportunity for action. Both frank and compassionate, coverage includes:
Stories of white women's experiences with sexism, racism, and white privilege
How white women harm BIPOC and ourselves by colluding with systems of oppression
Why and how white women often hijack race conversations
A powerful six-stage identity development model for self-reflection and growth
Guiding questions and practical actions for strengthening anti-racism practices
Tools to cultivate genuine partnerships with BIPOC individuals and groups.
White women are positioned in a power hierarchy between white men and BIPOC. It is time for white women to step up and undertake deep reflection on their role in systemic racism and take concrete actions that support equity and justice for all people.
Review
"Govan and Smith trace stages of identity development that they observe in white women as we come to recognize our dual locations in sexist systems that oppress us and racial systems which privilege us. The book is alive with white women's testimonies on the raw but rewarding work of observing often hidden power systems. This analysis helps white women with two simultaneous character-forming tasks: healing from wounds of sexism and using the power we get from privilege to weaken racism in ourselves and in the world." — Peggy McIntosh, PhD, author, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, founder, National SEED Project on Inclusive Curriculum, Wellesley Centers for Women
"Bold, poignant, and provocative, Govan and Smith have done a masterful job of highlighting vital voices, frameworks, and analysis of white women and racism that is rare. This work is much needed in this time of racial reckoning. This is a must read for those looking to go deep to understand how complicity, niceness, and silence can be equally as devastating as racism itself. Thank you!" — Tyrone C. Howard, PhD, professor, UCLA Dept of Education and Black Male Institute
"Combining a joint approach for addressing sexism, in partnership with the privilege of whiteness, along with the proposed identity development model and concrete actions, this book promises to move the work of anti-racist white women forward by leaps and bounds. If you identify as white and female and are serious about your anti-racism work in the world, this is your next book." — Kathy Obear, Center for Transformation and Change, author, But I'm NOT Racist and In It For The Long Haul
"Is there a need for a book on white women and racial justice work? Having read this book, the answer is clearly yes. Govan and Smith have struck a powerful balance which allows this book to at once speak truth, offer hope, and expect the reader to act. The experience of both authors' ever-deepening work in this area shines through and is a valuable model for how white women can engage in racial justice practice." — Dr. Heather W. Hackman, president, Hackman Consulting Group
"White women are both bulwarks in maintaining white supremacy and leaders of resistance to it. This book is an insightful, provocative, and practical guide to the range of ways white women respond to the intersection of gender and race. With nuance, and attention to complexity, Govan and Smith do an excellent job of teasing apart the many roles that white women play in our communities and offer them a challenge to examine the complicated impact of gender and race in their lives. Filled with poignant, powerful, and honest stories, this book offers a toolkit for white women to become more effective ra