I absolutely loved this book! I found it hard to put down. I highly recommend reading it! You won’t be disappointed.

I absolutely loved this book. It is a guidebook, with helpful practices and check ins to help foster change and growth. There are daily prompts and actions to do, and while some of the suggestions and prompts made me uncomfortable/highlighted my struggle, it was a very powerful reading experience. I highly HIGHLY recommend this book.

We are being deluged with books on racism, how to do better, being prodded to remember it’s more than a hashtag, and coaxed to look within. Do Better is one of the latest entries and it’s a lot of work….as it should be.

For transparency, I am a middle aged privileged Canadian born white man who grew up and continues to live in a highly mixed neighbourhood. Safe to say I am now the minority race in my area which is something I quite enjoy. I thrive off different cultures but I’m in the vast majority of people in my race/age group which is a factor in my reading books of this material as I hope to glean more ways to inform others of what I see and enjoy, pulling them into action. Ricketts has done a masterful job in doing so.

I love books that present as guides and, even more so, ones that lay out projects or “to-do”’s that cause you to question if you are doing as much as you can. Again, Ricketts nails it. She is very upfront: you MUST do the exercises in order to be better. It’s a lot of work. It’s hard. It’s emotional. It’s time consuming. But so is being the person you hold privilege over. If you are unwilling to exert effort or acknowledge you need to, move on. If you are still willing to do it, and you are a meditative type, this book will be your new best friend. Each and every chapter challenges you to focus of affirmations and reflections, something I personally don’t do much of at all. Nothing in how it was presented here will make me change that, but it doesn’t take away from me pulling ideas and having mea culpa moments….I certainly did.

From past discussions, readings, and real life experiences I am aware that nobody feels the pain of Black women, especially trans, queer, disabled, etc Black and Indigenous women. This is not talked about or acknowledged enough in society or the fight to do better. Ricketts talks about it here though….ad nauseum. Even if I wasn’t aware, I would be by the midway point but she keeps going back and back and back. Every. Chapter. It got to the point where I found myself audibly sighing when she did. I sighed a lot. More than needed.

The glossary was another high note. She writes with a young persons vernacular, one which I picked up on but others of privilege may not. Her definitions are laid out well and could be nightstand material for some parents looking to help direct their kids.

Is this the best book on how to fight white supremacy? No. It is not for the everyday reader, but it is stellar should you be into yoga mats and centering your soul & you are willing to let out a lot of emotions.