How We Fight White Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance by Akiba Solomon

How We Fight White Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance Reviews

• 
  Stacie C

  Have you ever asked yourself how you fight white supremacy? You’d have to define it first and then understand what it means before you could answer that. But once you understood what it meant and how you were affected by it, could you say how you fight white supremacy? It’s a question I’ve battled with for the last few years. Definitely more so since 2016. I don’t know if I have a single answer for that, especially when sometime just existing as a Black woman in the United States feels like an act of resistance. I gravitated towards this book because I wanted to see what other people had to say and how other people are fighting back. If nothing else, this book has shown me that there are many different ways to fight. People will do what they are capable of doing, and fight in the best way they know how.
  
  This book is a collection of many things. It has poetry, essays, interviews, question and answer sessions and music. It’s not a monolith of one note statements meant to inspire you to move, but these different elements all bring different levels of hope. Separated into different themes it brings all of these elements into focus. Solomon and Rankin end each section with their own thoughts and reflections. Those reflections ground everything and invite you to reflect on your own position in all of this.
  
  I enjoyed this book. I liked how there were so many different people expressing themselves in so many different ways. This book shows example after example of the different ways Black people, whether they are men, women, part of the LGBTQ community, musicians, artists, all of these people are fighting and the fight is taking place on so many different levels. This isn’t a book that sets out to tell you what to do. But it is a book that shows you that your fight will be your own, that many other people have chosen their way to fight and you can also find yours. I highly recommend this book. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
• 
  Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany)

  Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
  
  How We Fight White Supremacy is a fantastic collection of interviews with Black activists, art pieces, and thoughtful essays on a variety of topics related to fighting white supremacy. It is compelling, interesting, beautiful, and heart-breaking by turns. It is nicely organized into topical sections (faith, love, beauty etc.) and we get to hear from the editors on each topic. I think this also could serve as a good introduction to other writers that might be worth picking up. Among many others, they interviewed Ta-Nehisi Coates who is, in my opinion, one of the best thinkers on race in America today. This collection represents a wide variety of backgrounds, professions, beliefs, and experiences, but is all aimed at this issue of fighting racism and white supremacy. I think it is well worth picking up.
  
  I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
• 
  Traci Thomas

  Essays, poems, interviews, playlists and more combine to answer the question of fighting white supremacy. I really enjoyed this and loved hearing from such a diverse array of Black thinkers and activists.
• 
  Silvia

  I was sent this book as an advance listening copy via libro.fm for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
  
  I want to start this with the premise that I am white and I am an European who's always lived in Europe. What I know about racial dynamics in the US comes from books like The Hate U Give, the news and social media. But I had never read a non-fiction book specifically about this specific topic so I was very interested when this book was in the January ALCs by libro.fm.
  
  I found this book very well done. It's a collection of not only essays but also interviews, poems, songs and reflections by Black people of different backgrounds, and they are collected into different sections. As a reviewer it would be impossible to rate each individual contribution, especially only owning an audiobook copy where I couldn't take notes or bookmark things. And to be honest I feel like, with a book like this, to talk about each essay would be to miss the point entirely.
  
  This is an important book because it makes it clear from the start that, while certainly being perfectly readable and enjoyable to someone who, like me, is white and doesn't live in the US, is primarily targeted at Black people. There were some essays where I lacked some or all context to fully be able to understand, but that's okay. If you're white, no matter if you live in the US or not, do yourself a favor and don't expect this to be written for you. Sit back, listen or read and learn, because there's so, so much to learn from this book. And then give this book to your Black friends, to your white friends who are willing to listen to Black voices without "...but!" and without wanting to throw in their two cents. This is not about you.
  
  
• 
  Lalaa #ThisBlackGirlReads

  As someone who reads a fair amount of community and culture analysis, I couldn’t wait to dive into this book and I’m pleased to say that it did not disappoint.
  
  White supremacy isn’t new at all but what is new is the manner in which each generation has to fight against it. It is a beautiful declaration that should be read by people of all colours as a guide to defining and fighting racist oppression.
  
  This is a strong and powerful collection of essays celebrating black resistance and how so many people of colour have to deal with different realities.
  
  A worthy, timely and important read.
  
• 
  Romie

  I want to put this book into every single person's hands. you might think you haven't integrated some (or most) aspects of white supremacy (even if you're a person of colour), but the truth is, you have. it's all around us. and it's our job to recognise what we do wrong and change it. hearing about so many people and the way they fight white supremacy was empowering, and more people need to realise they can do more.
  
  thank you libro.fm and bold type books for the audio listening copy
• 
  Andre

  A different take on the racism discussion. Instead of white resistance to change, and the danger of white supremacy and the impact it has in the world, we get a multifaceted look on how people of color, mainly Black people fight against white supremacy. A thoughtful book that gives answers to the question, “well what are you doing about it?” It being white supremacy.
  
  The answers are as varied as those who were chosen to be a part of this project. Artists, Writers, Activists, and some unsung persons in life. Why this book, in this way?
  
  From the introduction: “The fact is, White supremacy defines our current reality. It is not merely a belief that to be White is to be better. It is a political, cultural, and economic system premised on the subjugation of people who are not White. That subjugation takes on an infinite number of forms and is enforced with varying degrees of physical violence, mental abuse, and robbery.......... We’re fascinated by those who resist and create despite the obstacles created by White supremacy and its lackeys: sexism, homophobia, disenfranchisement, transphobia, colorism, ableism, and more.”
  
  The book is arranged in such a way that each chapter deals with a different category of resistance. And the editors add their personal history and experience in each resistance category. At the core of the book is inspiring lessons on fighting and dreaming for something bigger and better. It is a hopeful document with prime examples on why hopefulness is necessary.
  
  Because I’m a easy laugher and user of humor, the resistance of humor as a weapon resonated with me and in the chapter Laugh To Keep From Crying, Kenrya Rankin praises humor “It presses Pause on your anxiety and gives you permission to step away from your constant vigilance. When we allow laughter in, we unfold, relax our shoulders, loosen our limbs, release our tongues, throw off the invisible cloak of respectability, and feel rejuvenated enough to head back into battle, heads high. It lets us return to ourselves.” Irrefutable! Thanks to Perseus Books and Netgalley for an advanced ebook. Book drops Mar. 26, 2019
• 
  Never Without a Book

  How We Fight White Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance by Akiba Solomon, kiba Solomon is a phenomenal collection of essays written by powerful thinkers, contributors: Ta-Nehisi Coates Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Kiese Laymon, Damon Young, Michael Arceneaux, Amanda Seales, Imani Perry and so many others describe how and why people of color fight the whiteness. Great book for those looking for understanding in POC struggles. Some very interesting and enlightening stories in this collection.
• 
  chantel nouseforaname

  A lot of great information in here. For a book you'd think would be incredibly heavy; each piece shared the importance of forging forward in your blackness in various contexts in a very lighthearted way.
  
  I think this is a great place for people to find inspiration to continue when the work of fighting white supremacy feels overwhelming and trust me - it's overwhelming. Hearing from legends like Harry Belafonte and newcomers like Damon Young to women like Tarana Burke and Ayana Byrd and Kiese Laymon, you get a real sense of what it means to start, to sustain, to contribute to and push and move a movement forward. There's so much magic in telling our stories as a way to combat white supremacy. I loved legends speaking about other legends and the power of organizing.
  
  This really is a book by us for us or for us by us. It's doper than I can explain and if you feel exhausted by the fight you will feel re-energized to keep speaking out by the end of this book.
• 
  Alanna Schwartz

  I hope you read more than one book about fighting white supremacy, but if you *were* to only read one, this is the book I would recommend. This collection brings together voices across so many fields in America, and covers topics from gender, to money, to to code switching, to gaslighting, incarceration, to microagressions. One of my favourite parts of this book was the playlists for the revolution, which highlight black songs and artists. This book has only inspired me to read more!
• 
  Naomi

  A wonderful collection of interviews, art, experiences, poetry, and expressions of resilience, resistance, and living well despite an oppressive, racist society.
• 
  Brittany

  This is my first ever book received from NetGalley and honestly, I couldn't have hoped for a better choice.
  
  I'm strongly against spoilers in reviews so I won't give away specifics but rather, discuss how important this book is in our current socio-political climate.
  
  This book is a must-read. Not only is it inspirational and educational but it also forces you to truly think about the work you're doing when it comes to the fight against white supremacy.
  
  I am a white teen librarian in an area predominantly made up of minorities (especially Black and Hispanic people) and my biggest motivation is to make sure my collections are meeting the needs of my teens. I especially want to be able to give them examples of positive role models, so that they may realized they can move beyond what society expects of them.
  
  This book provides that. We're given real stories from real people that are doing the work. It's approachable as well, which is so important because a lot of the emotional work involved in social justice, especially in race-based social justice, can be very heavy and hard on the learner. While this book does make you do the work, does make you assess your own experiences and thoughts and your place in this fight, it doesn't scare you off. It's presented in a way that seems like talking with your friends rather than reading up on a lecture. And I think that's vital for such a heavy subject.
  
  I cannot recommend this book enough. It should exist in every library everywhere.
• 
  Megan

  Thanks to Perseus Books and NetGalley for this book in exchange for a review.
  
  I am not the intended audience for this book, and the prologue makes it clear. However, I kept reading and I’m glad I did. It’s a book that celebrates black resistance, detailing how black people have been fighting white supremacy, how they became activists, and what they hope to achieve in their resistance.
  
  I found it very moving, as someone who is aware of white supremacy. In our current climate, when the majority of white women are voting for and propping up white supremacy, I think it’s very important work, to expose the white supremacy and resist against it. This book is so important and I hope that it gets a lot of attention.
  
• 
  Allie

  Everyone on the planet should read this book.
  Very well written. Bravo !
  Thanks Akiba and Goodreads !
  Allison
• 
  Jennifer

  This is a fascinating and informative overview of the many Black men and women that have built their lives around fighting white supremacy through protest, fundraising, art, and religion. The wide range of viewpoints and approaches really opened my eyes to just how varied the Black community actually is when it comes to fighting for their freedom. Presented in interviews, essay, poetry, and even song, this title is effective in teaching the reader more about all of the work being done for Black justice in the modern day.
• 
  Rhea

  The content of this book is so vital and current. I particularly liked Quinn Gee’s piece on the trauma of being black in white spaces, and adrienne marie brown’s on intimacy as a strategy for fighting white supremacy. I did struggle to connect with the format of the parts that were interviews, especially since each person was asked the same question. But overall it’s one to buy, not to borrow - you’ll want to return to it again and again.
• 
  Beas Chattaraj

  Thank you @librofm for the ALC. I loved the narration of Jeanette Ellidge and Vallea Woodbury.
  White supremacy has always been a ghost haunting POCs. And it is not the harmless lurking variety. It is violent. It takes lives.
  This book is a collection of interviews, essays, poems, songs, playlists, plans and art by the black people of America in defiance of the blatant racism they face in their everyday lives. From entrepreneurs to social workers, lawyers to activists, parents to high school students - every one who has fought the flawed system and are still fighting. This book is by them. And for them. And for us. Because we are all part of the problem. We have normalized 'whiteness', mimicked our colonizers, we have been ashamed of our own skin colour, our ethnicity and our culture. We have been conditioned with the idea that the white folk are prettier, or better than us and we strive to be like them.
  This book mostly talks about the plight of African Americans, not Indians, Latinx or Asian people. But one step at a time, I guess. I loved reading it. And I loved reading about how optimistic people can be, amidst all the pain and the despair. Akiba and Kenyra talk about their own lives too, apart from collecting insightful snippets from other black Americans who are successful in their respective fields and how difficult it was to achieve their place in a society that exists just to push them down.
  Although, it isn't very comprehensive, it is insightful and totally worth a read or a listening to.
• 
  Camille McCarthy

  I really enjoyed this collection of words on how various prominent Black figures fight white supremacy in their everyday lives. There were a range of political and non-political responses, some being on the liberal end, some being more radical, and some not getting into politics much. At the end of each chapter, the editors, Akiba Solomon and Kenrya Rankin, answer questions about how they respond to various aspects of fighting white supremacy.
  In the introduction, Solomon and Rankin state that this is a book for and by Black people, and this book doesn't seek to explain racism to white people or anything like that. I enjoyed reading it and was glad they chose that direction, since I'm a little weary of those kinds of books. This was a great book to read, especially today. Something that stuck with me was one of the editors writing that she didn't join organizations fighting for Black liberation because she felt her extreme paranoia would prevent her from being of much use, and that has resonated with me, seeing as how every organization I've been a part of has been torn apart from the inside. It was nice to see someone talk frankly about that negative aspect of organizing and to know I'm not alone, and that it might be ok to just take a break from being a part of organizing and find other ways I can help out.
  I highly recommend this book, especially since the uprisings occurring all over the country in response to racism and police brutality.
• 
  PhebeAnn

  4.5 stars. This was an excellent, sweeping collection of essays, interviews, poems, and quotes from Black Americans about, as the title tells you quite plainly, the ways people are fighting white supremacy. I loved the expansiveness of how fighting white supremacy is defined through these diverse pieces, from activist work, to art, to parenting, to faith, to excelling in professions where Black people face the biggest barriers. It gave a valuable window into the people behind some of the key social movements of our times, from the civil rights movement (a few - most voices are more contemporary) to #metoo, to the LGBTQ movement and Black Lives Matter. I loved the diversity of voices here too - all genders, sexualities, classes, religions & geographical areas.
  
  As with any collection, I enjoyed some pieces more than others but it was a really solid collection.
• 
  Jess

  “We wrote this book to document the people, from the unsung to the famous, who are doing good work right where they stand, fighting causes both sexy and pedestrian.”
  
  Solomon and Rankin wholeheartedly accomplish this goal in “How We Fight White Supremacy.” This text lays a purposeful foundation for understanding the fight against white supremacy in its extremely varied forms and sets up an attainable future of freedom. The editors are frank about what they chose to include and what they chose not to include (black conservatives, in particular). I appreciated that being acknowledged and plain, and agree with their decision in the context of the narrative.
  
  Since I read the ebook version, a lot of the formatting was confusing (who was talking and when and how) that would be clearer in the physical book. In parts, the flow was choppy and I wished there had been more transitions and a formal conclusion chapter. However, the points were salient.
  
  I found writers and poets and artists in this book I will seek out now. The breadth of inclusion is wide. The poetry they included is one of the highlights of the text. Stunning. An important read for everyone in our fight for an empowered future.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley, Harchette Book Group, and Nation Books for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  cat

  4.5 stars - and rounding up.
  
  When I pre-ordered this book last year, it was on the strength of the authors' previous work with Colorlines and the title. I totally missed the subtitle - A Field Guide to Black Resistance - and I had no idea that it was a diverse collection of writings (essays,poems, graphic strips, speculative fiction, and interviews) from Black activists on how they are working to end white supremacy. What a joyful discovery when I did open the book! Some of my favorite authors and thinkers have pieces in the collection, including adrienne maree brown, Darnell Moore, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Tarana Burke, Patrisse Khan-Cullors, and Kiese Laymon. Hello, collection of amazing voices.
• 
  Books, Brews & Booze

  I would like to see everyone read this book with an open heart and mind. It would be great if schools added it to their reading and discussion lists.
• 
  Alison

  I really enjoyed the diverse and powerful points of view shared in this book.
• 
  Cindy Brookshire

  This is one of those books I read to challenge myself. I take the words in and then look around me, and see things in a different way.
• 
  laura (bookies & cookies)

  First and foremost, I am not the target audience. I am a white woman, and with that, I have my own unintended part in white supremacy.
  
  This book is a rallying cry for black people to be inspired by others doing the work of dismantling white supremacy (even little things such as calling out the wording of "minority" in the US when discussing black, Latinx, and Asian people, when there are more of these ethnic groups than white people. That's the lie of white supremacy).
  
  As a white reader, I had to de-center myself and listen. I am giving this book 5 stars as it's not my place to rate or judge the content. I will be reading up on black reviewers' input and linking those soon.
  
  This audiobook was provided to me at no cost by Libro.fm in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Jim

  I am White (by chance, not by choice, and if you read this book you will understand why I made this distinction). as a result I am absolutely unqualified to critique this book. And that is assuredly not because the authors (who are immensely intelligent, amazing, funny, articulate, honest, critical, amazing, workaholics, and yes, AMAZING BLACK WOMEN!!) have stated, unequivocally that it is written for Black People, though White People may surely read it, as I did.
  I'll skip on the platitudes and grandiose acknowledgements about how this book opened my eyes to racism. I think anyone who males these types of candyass statements is a fucking awful racist who wants sympathy for being an awful racist. And probably says "All Lives Matter" in their head when they see Black Lives Matter anything, anywhere.
  Fuck.
  White Supremacist America has fucked over Black People in America for-fucking-ever. #45 was a symptom, but anyone who thinks Biden is a remedy is probably pretty fucking racist too. Another old, white, straight, male as president is hardly fixing/doing anything but mollifying the guilt complexes of White People who want to believe - and want Black People to believe - they're not racist at all. Anyway. I'm just not into explaining how fucked that idea is.
  This book is beautiful and funny and sad and honest and brutal and quite a lot of it is just not part of what I know as a person in any way. That makes me sad and angry, at myself. It makes me realize there is much more to do to make the world as safe for Black People as it is, and always has been, for White People. And that safety doesn't need to come at the expense of anyone, any group, or anything at all.
  This review sucks, and it is not because the book is a mess, or confusing, or lacking in any way. I simply lack the understanding to explain why White Supremacy is still dominating every institution across the globe when any rational person would obviously understand marginalizing anyone for their skin color makes ZERO FUCKING SENSE unless your entire worldview has been based on only one skin color having value.
  Read This Book. Every single contributor is DOING SOMETHING TO KICK THE ABSOLUTE SHIT OUT OF WHITE SUPREMACY. If you're not on board with that, then just get the hell out of their way. Else they will move you themselves.
• 
  Mel

  I would assign more stars if I could. This book is truly a wonderful resource put together by the editors who included the voices of so many different contributors. With stories told by other writers, activists, artists, lawyers, DJs, teachers, entrepreneurs... You could flip this open to any page and get a different format, each speaking up about white supremacy. There are playlists, interviews, art pieces, a sermon, a comic which all fit together to communicate to the reader how these individuals are effecting change, and how, if they were so inclined, the reader could get ideas for how to do better too.
  
  I’ll let the following quotes speak for themselves:
  
  An excerpt from A Poem in Which No Black People Are Dead by Hanif Abdureaqib
  
  “a whole city opens its cracked palms and holds the buzzing within.
  in this poem, it sounds like prayer.
  not the hushed kind, but the one that arrives on the lips
  after a lover trusts you with their undoing.
  the kind that comes from a table
  where the spades are up and the tea is sweet.
  here, everyone black is a church that never burns.
  everyone black is the fire themselves.
  eternal light, blood still hot and never on the pavement.
  if heaven is a place of no pain, let this be heaven.”
  
  “From the first captive arrival of Africans upon these North American shores to the present, the very essence of being a Black person in America has meant being in a perpetual state of resistance.” — journalist & activist Mumia Abu-Jamal
  
  “I fight White Supremacy by being big Black in my small White town. I fight though I appear not to fight. My weapon is radical self-acceptance, a personal hospitality that lays down the I-am-because-we-are welcome mat of Black reception wherever I enter.... In small towns, the superiority complexes have a way of masquerading as White shame sans atonement, as a fake kind of humility, as a piousness in the wake of ‘well, we tried’ failures, as hands-up exasperation that believes it is we who haven’t shown up. So with my Black self, not only do I show up, but I show off. Big time.” — writer & editor Penny Wrenn
  
  “As a parent, I fight for my own freedom to teach my children that they have dominion over their own bodies.... I once thought that being a Black woman civil rights attorney was the height of my personal revolutionary action. Now I know that parenting my children is the most revolutionary thing that I can do in this world. They need all of us more now than ever. They need our collective love and support. They need us to see them as children.”
  — civil rights attorney, Rickell Howard Smith
  
  “I fight White supremacy by telling our untold stories.” — media producer, Janelle M. Harris
  
  “The government has counted me in. This just means that to resist White supremacy is to accept that there will be state or state sanctioned violence against you.” — educator & poet Tongo Eisen-Martin
  
  “I have never seen a day where White Supremacy didn’t impact where I live, the work I do, or the way my child views herself. But I have faith that that day exists.... Faith that a force not seen is ordering our steps toward freedom. Onward.” — author, journalist, and co-editor of this book, Kenrya Rankin
  
  “For a people who were seized and stripped of our bodily autonomy, our history, culture, language, and traditions, humor has always been a way for us to touch and care for one another. Laughing is an underground railroad for those of us lucky enough to ride its tracks.... real laughter is non-negotiable is you are to beat White supremacy. A major component of enslaving Black folks was keeping us terrified at the whims of untalented and ridiculous White people. Part of how we survived lies in how and why we laugh.”
  — journalist and co-editor of this book, Akiba Solomon
  
  Text conversation b/t co-editor Kenrya and a friend:
  A: Does fighting or standing up for something mean you do it every day or every chance you get it just that one time or whenever it happened to come across you?
  B: I think so. Cause a lot of people won’t even do that.
  A: That’s true. I mean I was just thinking, Do I fight for anything? Like, I try to stand up for people when I seen them wronged, but do I really fight for stuff? Why don’t I? Is it because I’ve been conditioned to fall in line and not ruffle the norm? I don’t know.
  B: Do what you can. You can’t fight everything, so do what you can.
• 
  Michael

  A really good collection. Has poetry, prose, interviews, essays, and music lists. Jay Smooth, Imani Perry, Kiese Laymon and of course the two authors--Akiba Solomon and Kenrya Rankin. Variety, warmth, antiracism, philosophy, wondering if America has room for a black uptopic moment. I urge everyone to read this to get a sense of the problems systemic white supremacy causes for black people. The misogynoir, the death, the poverty, the untreated mental health. And yet through imaginative storytelling and brutal, blunt honesty about our nation's contemporary racism the book is very accessible. I say that a lot when I talk about writing but for me accessibilty is the first step to really engaging with criticism and new ideas one might not have thought of. This book should also be read by people like Joe Biden who think black people need social workers to come into their homes and help them read. One of the problems with my own white liberal class is the casual racism of talking about poverty and black people like there is no black middle class or business class or thriving working class! This book gives you insight into that. So, the strength of the book the variety that goes between hard facts to poetry back to statistics to allowing the reader to imagine engage with creative restoration. If you have ever wondered why you should oppose white supremacy this is now the time to learn. Ta-Nehisi Coates also is interviewed and Hanif Abdurraqib has a poem in it. I spent a lot of time with this book because I wanted to feel the prose and let myself be patient with the cold hard facts of my racism, my family's racism, my country's racism, and how racism needs to be checked on in order to be inoculated from. I for one will not want to repeat the pattern of white supremacist misogynist homophobic capitalist patriarchy. It was always a lie! And to believe it is to engage in a denial. I'd like to think I'm not part of that denial. Through reading I learn more about what I'm missing and how to actively listen to the people oppressed by our society. And most of all how to reduce the harm of this white supremacist wordlview. And maybe to be simple about it I think it's important to read black authors and black editors and not solely focus on my own subjectivity but listen to the words of people I've been taught to otherize. The work of unlearning hate is never over. And it's 2019 so you decide now whether you want to read more authors that aren't white and male and straight and cis or you can fall on the status quo. And that even means authors I might like! But it's giving space and decentering. I guess this isn't really a review but it is my expression of how I engaged with the book. Read it! And check out the work of the authors in it! #endwhitesupremacy
• 
  Jaime

  "They've met regularly and devised ways for there to be lots of talking, learning, processing, and thinking out loud together. Communication was always key and accountability has been crucial. / I have found that without organizations, coalitions, and leadership teams, there is no collective strategy or accountability. An independent or freelance activist may share their opinion, and it may be an informed one, but if these words are not spoken in consultation or conversation with people on the ground, they are limited as a representation of a movement's thinking and work." p 24, Akiba Solomon
  
  To read: 2016 study from the Institute for Policy Studies and the Corporation for Economic Deelopment, 2018 study from researchers at the US Census Bureau + Stanford University + Harvard University