I think this book is seeking an audience with the same identity as the author—white folks trying to puzzle out their place in racial politics. As a multicultural reader, I didn’t feel Bucks really fulfilled the intention presented in the introduction, but rather provided a space of comfort for readers like him to find the right answers.

In Garrett Bucks’ memoir, The Right Kind of White, I found myself expecting more history and research referencing the topic of Whiteness and its effects. What I mostly gathered from the book, however, was the author’s confession that being privileged largely prevented him from becoming the effective and open-minded proponent of racial equality that he perhaps wished to be.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book, but whatever it was, this book missed the mark. I don't think I was the right audience for this book. Bucks has done some great things with his privilege, but most of the book read as a humble brag. I would've liked to see more of him encouraging others with white privilege in using it for good.

The book has good reviews, so I might be in the minority with my thoughts.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was not the kind of book I thought it would be. However, the acknowledgment of privilege that Bucks mentions from growing up white in America makes it worth it. Having grown up with a completely different view of life, this allowed me to see the world through someone else's point of view. That was all it did though. I am happy that someone acknowledged those privileges that are allotted to them, I just wish more discussion of what to do next with that privilege would have happened.

I’m very critical of memoirs because I think they can be hard to write successfully. Sometimes the writer focuses too much on one aspect of their life or maybe it’s not told in a cohesive way. But my biggest pet peeve about memoirs is that not everyone’s life warrants one. This is where I landed with “The Right Kind of White” by Garrett Bucks. I’m just not sure why this was considered enough content for a full book.

Bucks is a white male who decided to write about his experiences, including his privilege. However, this book didn’t really examine too much of that perspective or its implications throughout history. Rather, Bucks focuses more on autobiographical details. Maybe this is just a case of my expectations being really different from the actual book. What I wanted was a white man examining how his privilege has impacted his life and the world around him – what I got was details about Bucks going from job to job and basically failing upward.

At the end of the day, I need some drama in my memoirs, or at least some general conflicts. Bucks doesn’t really have any. His major childhood trauma was moving to another state for a few years, until his family moved back to the Midwest. He has a health scare as an adult, but SPOILER it just turns out to be sleep apnea. Race is only discussed somewhat fleetingly, like when he teaches with Teach for America at a school on a reservation. The Indigenous students learn to trust him, but then he leaves after a year anyway (not sure what the exact lesson that was supposed to be learned here). He wants to get involved after a string of violent, racially-charged police incidents take place, but then somehow doesn’t do anything even after mentioning that he feels guilty as a white man and wants to take action.

The reviews on Goodreads so far are pretty positive, so it’s quite possible that I just didn’t get the point of this book. I would probably have gained some appreciation in a more streamlined essay format, but as a full-length book, I just found myself wondering if the biggest example of white, male privilege is that he was able to publish a book solely based on his average life story.

I so admire and applaud the author's rigorous honesty in this book. His confessions made me think a lot about my own reasonings and challenged me to be more truthful about my intentions and desires when I show up as an ally, when I champion progressive causes, and when I decide to speak out. As someone with a chronic illness, hearing about how his own health struggles influenced how he shows up also felt really relatable. His writing style is extremely approachable and enjoyable to read. For me, the real standout section didn't come until nearly the end when he talked about skipping the step of building community. This is what I know I will carry with me for the long-term.

The Right Kind of White by Garrett Bucks

240 Pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: March 19, 2024

Nonfiction (Adult), Biographies, Memoirs, History

Garrett discusses his childhood and his Methodist upbringing. He talks about teaching in New Mexico, the possibility of becoming a minister, and the Quakers. He strived to be the best person he could be, but at times wished he was better. He explains his mysterious illness and how it affected his life and relationships.

This memoir has a steady pace and is written in the first-person point of view. The author did a good job chronicling historic events and how they affected his perspectives on life. I enjoyed this author’s writing style and would definitely read more by him in the future.

I did not care for this book. The author sounded whiny and self-indulgent about his whiteness and trying to be an ally to people of color. Like other "well-meaning" white people, he seems to be more consumed with how his advocacy looked to others instead of making positive changes. This book was one massive eye roll.

"The Right Kind of White" by Garrett Bucks is a brave memoir that provides a refreshing new perspective on whiteness and the complexities of being a "good white person." Bucks, shaped by progressive parents and a liberal upbringing, takes pride in being the epitome of a responsible white person who acknowledges privilege and strives to be a true ally to people of color.

While aspiring to be a model of allyship, he discovers that his fixation on being the right kind of white person hinders his ability to form meaningful relationships, especially with other white folx. Bucks explores the admission price of this ideal whiteness and the transformative inner work he undertakes to bridge the divide he once sought to maintain.

As the founder of The Barnraisers Project, which focuses on organizing majority-white communities for racial and social justice, Bucks brings a wealth of experience to his reflections. His honesty shines through as he addresses the complexities of family lineage, confronting shame, and navigating the guilt associated with his upbringing in a place named after the historically racist Thomas Jefferson.

What sets Bucks' memoir apart is his refusal to seek complete forgiveness for past atrocities; instead, he shares his story without reservation. The narrative is enriched by his exploration of the Clancy upbringing in Jefferson County, Montana—a place bearing the name of a president known for his racism. Bucks' sincerity allows for the inclusion of diverse experiences, making this memoir a valuable contribution to discussions on race and allyship. His ability to confront his own vulnerabilities and provide insight into the journey of becoming a genuine ally makes "The Right Kind of White" a thought-provoking and unique read. Thank you to the publisher and the author for the e-arc copy!

I read a lot about race and especially whiteness. I have done research in the area, so I was interested in reading this book. But I did not find it to be a real study on whiteness. It is more the author's memoir. There is a lot about his upbringing and I found it hard to follow and not all that interesting or compelling,. His intention may have been to grapple with whiteness, but it was lacking. It does not have the same qualities or impact of other authors who have written about their whiteness such as Robert Jensen or Tim Wise. I cannot recommend this book. It think the author should revisit it and add more context regarding his experiences and whiteness.

This is a memoir unlike any other memoir I've ever read. Bucks lived most of his life trying to be the Valedictorian of Whiteness. He knew white people were harmful, so he made extra sure to be "the right kind" of white male. But why? and for whom? Bucks unpacks this in his memoir in an incredibly vulnerable way. The memoir shifts when he realizes that othering himself from whiteness isn't actually doing any good. I'm hoping there is a follow up with more on his Barn Raiser work. This book gave me hope and also made me look inwards and reflect on the ways I see my whiteness. I highly recommend.

When reading this book by Gareth Bucks about his long ancestry of liberalism and non-racist relatives and how he with the exception of his family and community members shunned all other white people because he assumed they were all racist. He was also very aware of his white privilege it would make his decisions based on not wanting to take advantage of that privilege with the exception of everything from his medical care education in his eventual marriage. I kept thinking about the autobiography I read on wild Bill Hickok and how his father was an abolitionist but not the kind that wanted to save Black people from slavery he was from Missouri and didn’t want slaves in his state because he didn’t want to live near them. He writes about his animosity and distain toward other white people because he assumed they were all racist while he and his girlfriend moved to Sweden on a Fulbright scholarship they say with age comes wisdom and that certainly happen for the author only it started during his mysterious illness. He also talks about his lifelong search for a white hero and his need to make minority approved decisions When I was in college I never thought my choice of heroes could only be the same color as myself I did enjoy the book and found it quite entertaining and thought the author has a great talent for writing but I do think his revelation about why people almost seem like an afterthought I just found it so coincidental that he comes from a long line of non-racist people who grew up in North Dakota in other mainly white states.I did want to stop here and say I thought much like the author did growing up but I actually grew up around a multi race environment. I knew my family weren’t racist because on Thanksgiving when my grandmother saw black kids picking on another black guy she went out and preach the word of God to them and then invited them into our home to share Thanksgiving dinner and while I sat eating dinner with our new friends One of whom would grow up become a nurse and tend to my grandmother when she could no longer tend to herself not because it was his job but because he loved my grandmother but as we sat there I was so scared the people in my family who I knew said the N-word would say it but no one did. Everyone was welcoming and nice and it wouldn’t be until years later that I realize most of what they said was because it was what they grew up with and not because I felt any animosity towards other races because they also had disparaging names for white men they knew and didn’t like. That doesn’t make it right and I would be lying if I sat here and said no one in my Southern family was a real racist because I have lots of people in my family some love Trump some love BLM and some… Yes love everyone. Like I often do I am making this review about me and not the author in his book which was a good one I do want to say I hope the author doesn’t teach his children to go around and make decisions based on what others approve that he raises them to make the right decision because they know it to be right. my only advice to the author and any one else that feels the way he does just throw your rock in the pond and don’t worry about the ripples because if it is the right rock it will make the right changes. Just be good to everybody whether they are racist or not because you never know who may need a smile from you that day. America will never be the Kumbaya nation someone it to be they got those who hate the military yet without the military we would be speaking a different language and not living a totally different kind of life and that includes our racist ancestors who fought wars. I do not like racism and feel bad for those who feel the need to hate people they don’t even know so I decided I would make a difference by raising my children hopefully to love everyone and if they don’t love someone I hope they have a good reason not because it’s how they look or where they come from. I’m going to stop here because instead of telling you what a great book this is I am just patting myself on the back for being the perfect non-racist American and it is making even me nauseated. This is a great book and I did enjoy it some of it my opinion is still out on but he is a talented writer in his stories I found were most interesting I just thought maybe the man protest too much. This is to the author if you read this your uncle Ken‘s sad demise is in a book called Deaths in Yellowstone and I am almost positive they mentioned your mother as well. I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.