Towards the “Other America”: Anti-Racist Resources for White People Taking Action for Black Lives Matter by Chris Crass

Towards the “Other America”: Anti-Racist Resources for White People Taking Action for Black Lives Matter Reviews

• 
  Patricia

  A resource for white people who want to end white silence on racism, with something for those who are just beginning to educate themselves as well as for organizers who have been working on the issue for years. I read it for a discussion at a Standing Up for Racial Justice meeting, and much of the book deals with SURJ and its work. The first third of the book, about why and how white people need to organize against white supremacy and for "collective liberation," was quite inspiring and useful; the rest, consisting mostly of interviews with organizers from a variety of antiracism groups, was interesting but repetitive. The book offers useful references to other books, articles, and organizations--wish they'd been collected as a list at the end.
  
  A few quotes for my own notes:
  "We don't need messages from white people yearning for reconciliation unless it is joined with a courageous call for white people to hear Black rage, follow Black-led resistance, and get active for racial justice." (8)
  
  "To put it another way, we can't think our way out of the problem of white privilege by being really aware white people. We need to be aware white people on our own personal growth journey, who want to bring large numbers of other white people into movements to bring down white supremacy . . . ." (16)
  
  "[My friend's] mom said, 'It's a shame about all those illegals being deported.' My friend jumped all over her mom for using the word illegal and only later realized her mom was expressing sympathy that could have then been explored and potentially developed into solidarity. . . . Start with where people are and move them where you can." (20)
  
  Rev. Ashley Horan: "I'm trying to get people to understand collective liberation, and to sense both the blessing and the responsibility of claiming a belief that none of us is free until all of us are free. . . . Liberal white people use bureaucracy to throw up red tape where it doesn't need to exist. They ask whether there's a policy in place to allow the institution to focus on racial justice, or raise concerns about safety and fiduciary responsibility . . . pushing back against visionary leadership that demands a rewriting of the status quo, and spending a lot of energy making sure the institutions and structures in which they live and move do not undergo true transformation." (36-37)
  
  Dara Silverman of SURJ: "Part of my evolution as an organizer has been to move from a transactional framework towards a transformational framework. This means that it isn't just about what we win, how many actions we do, how much news coverage we get, but, What is the quality of the relationships? How are we supporting local groups of white people to listen and build trusting connections and partnerships with local communities of color?" (105)
  
  Liz Perlman and Seth Newton Patel of AFSCME: "We are challenged because police unions are part of our labor movement, and many AFSCME affiliates represent law enforcement officers. A month after Michael Brown was killed, AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka . . . said '. . . How can we not get involved? Union members' lives have been profoundly damaged in ways that cannot be fixed. . . . Our brother killed our sister's son.' Trumka referred to the fact that both Michael Brown's mother and killer are union members." (135)
  
  Kate Shapiro of Southerners on New Ground (SONG): "Volunteer at a local Black-led organization. Sweep the floors, stuff envelopes, do whatever needs to be done, set up for meetings, etc. If you have resources, commit or donate them without controlling the work or telling people how they should be doing their work. Commit for a year and demonstrate your commitment to local Black leadership through simple and humble acts." (146)
  
  Rev. Anne D. Dunlap: "The Bible is not the victory handbook of the Empire, but the outcry and deeply human wrestlings of the oppressed." (156)
  
  "The All Lives Matter reaction, just like the white people who decried Civil Rights as 'special rights' in the 1960s, is based in white resentment and anger towards assertions of Black equality and Black humanity, particularly when those assertions disrupt the 'normal (racially unequal) order.'" (161)
  
  
• 
  Sally Kilpatrick

  This one is a DNF
  
  First, it's a book by a white dude and it heavily centers white ant-racists. Look, I am all for being anti-racist. That is my goal, too. That said, the book was in the form of several interviews with community organizers, and I'm not looking to start any organizations. When I see "Resources" then I'm hoping for set strategies to be a better anti-racist. I'm not looking for a lot of word salad about base building and meeting white people where they are. I want to know where to donate my money. Is there a website that will help me better vet political candidates? What programs should I be donating to? which organizations should I go volunteer for?
  
  Now, that last one is something you can find in this book, but the organizations are scattered through out and a Google search would've done me just as well. Oh, and I'm not going door to door to talk to people like some kind of anti-racist evangelist because that feels as though it would be a waste of my time.
  
  I'll keep looking.
  
  If you're looking for books to educate you on the subject, I'd recommend that you read books by any number of Black authors: bell hooks, Mikki Kendall, Austin Channing Brown, Ibram Xendi--just to name a few. Heck, read Alice Walker or go all the way back to WEB Dubois. Unless you are specifically trying to start an organization, then you're probably better served with those original sources.
• 
  Lauren

  Good beginners book for anti-racists, especially those in faith communities
• 
  Anna Norvele

  Will be useful and used going forward.
• 
  Emma Newport

  I truly believe this book has the power to change lives. Chris Crass describes and discusses in detail what white people disgusted by racism and white supremacy can do, in a variety of different ways, to be the change we wish to see. I feel so inspired by his work for racial justice - this book lights the flame of passion and inspiration in anyone who's been afraid to act for Black liberation and the Black Lives Matter movement.
• 
  Sara

  Important content, and good information for white allies working for racial justice. Rather than a cohesive book, however, this is a collection of essays, interviews, and "notes", so to sit down and read it cover to cover feels repetitive and redundant. Might make a great book for a study group, reading just one section at a time and then talking about it.