Member Reviews
The author tells you from the start that this book is going to be short, but it still surprised me.
A good look at (obviously) being an anti racist ally, but it was nothing I didn't already know and try to embody. I think that everyone could be the "target" audience for this, and it didn't do any harm to read it, and remind myself of my privilege, and the fact that the world BIPOC and minority people live in isn't the same as mine, but it was a book for beginners.
This book is different and important. It gives definitions to all the terms that you need to know. It is easy to follow and extremely informative for everyone who reads it! I cannot wait to share this at my next book discussion!
Sophie Williams' new pocket-sized guide to becoming an Anti-Racist Ally and manifesto in maintaining allyship is engaging, impactful and critical. In it, Williams leaves interested allies no room for misunderstanding, as her writing style and formatting are extremely accessible for any level of knowledge of Anti-Racism.
I have been a social media follower of Williams for almost a year, and have been waiting to purchase this book (as well as Millennial Black). Her voice and presence online have been a compass of progress, compassion, hilarity and style. I often find that when my favorite online presences take the leap to publishing, I lose some of the candor that I loved about them in the first place - this is certainly not the case with Anti-Racist Ally, and it has made me all the more energized to continue my allyship!
This is a book that I will be gifting to all of my friends throughout 2021, and one that I hope will catch eyes of all those interested in continuing to "do the work!"
This book should be required reading for everyone. Educating ourselves on Anti-racism. It's the start to becoming an ally in anti-racism. Sophie Williams offers tips in calling out racism in communities. Holding ourselves and everyone accountable. Black Lives still continue to matter!
This book is a fantastic place to start your journey of being an anti-racist ally, or a great way to center yourself and remind yourself of the core values if you're already walking the path of an anti-racist ally. Short, clear, concise, and incredibly well written and organized, this book is a must have on the shelf of anyone who wants to help marginalized people.
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. Anti-Racist Ally was definitely an eye opener. Honestly, I loved everything that Sophie wrote because it made me think about so many things. Whether it was something I've personally said or did.. or just being a bystander to someone else. Now she touches on a lot of different topics and broke down the ways that we, as a person, could do better.
For example, I am a MOD for a group on Goodreads - Challenge Corner. We have used the term 'POC' for tasks here and there. Now, for me, I thought I was just trying to expand people's reading horizons. Like maybe they never read a book where the MC wasn't white before. Or the Author. It's a weird thought to me but I don't really dive into what other people are reading or tend to read either.
After diving into this book, Sophie said that for her personally - she hated the term. She also mentioned some new ones that I've never heard of - BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of color) and BAME (Black, Asian, Ethnic Minority). While reading her points as to why she doesn't like these terms, it definitely made me pause and think about it as well.
Long story short, I'm going to change my ways when creating tasks for challenges and not use those terms. I know it's not much but it's a start and I'm going to continue changing and bettering myself, my group, and even the challenges for everyone to involve.
In the end, I am beyond happy that I dove into this book. I'm also really excited to dive into the books that she recommended at the end.
Sophie Williams shares an amazing text that I will be thinking about in my practice and life for some time. With wisdom and strong writing, Williams helps us think about empathy and the kind of world that we want to share in creating as allies. Highly recommended.
Wow! While this book is small, it sure is mighty and could not be coming out at a better time. Like many white women, I was disappointed in myself that it took something like the tragedies of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd to fully understand that racism is still very much alive in our country.
As Anti-Racist Ally author Sophie Williams states. "Modern-day racism is less black face and racial slurs and more insidious, coded and systemic discrimination." This means it isn't always as easy to see when you aren't "living it." This is a reality that so many people do not have and I wanted to do better.
The Black Lives Matter movement was not sharing anything new, and as a white person, it was a privilege to choose when I thought about racism, and when I could turn it off. This is something that needed to change and was a pivotal moment for myself and many others. I learned that I needed to be a better ally and actively be anti-racist. I recognize that while we may not ever truly understand, I can continue to listen, learn, support, and stand up for others, starting with understanding the language of change.
Anti-Racist Ally is like the "Cliffs Notes" version of how we can be anti-racist, in our own homes, in our communities, and in our society. The writing is clear and approachable, and author Sophie William's educates us while also promoting how to take actionable steps that will make a difference.
This book is the perfect starting point in the journey of becoming a better ally. Every clear and concise chapter while also packing a punch. There were so many quotable moments I could hardly keep track and I know this is one I will go back to again and again. I already pre-ordered a hard copy, and you should too!
Thank you to Amistad for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. You can read this and other book reviews on my website, genthebookworm.com
For someone who is new to allyship, this book is perfect for them to get started. It uses really easy to understand terms and analogies which makes it easy to understand and apply to real life situations. I love that the author also gave the reader more literature to read after they were done with the book.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.