Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor

Saad begins the book by asking the reader questions, “How did you feel the first time you saw the title of this book? Were you surprised? Confused? Intrigued? Uncomfortable? Maybe all of the above?” (3). What role do questions (both journaling prompts and rhetorical questions) play throughout the book?

Saad emphasizes her desire, as well as the desire of many readers, to be a “good ancestor.” Select a civil rights leader from American history, research their life, and write an essay explaining how they provide a template for how to be a “good ancestor.”

“Antiracism work that does not break the heart open cannot move people toward meaningful change” (85). Write an essay interrogating how Me and White Supremacy has “broken” your heart open toward meaningful change. What has it allowed you to understand about white supremacy and white privilege that you may not have previously understood?

1.      Saad describes the harm of cultural appropriation arising from “the power dynamic between dominant and non-dominant cultures. Often, the appropriation is accompanied by an erasure of the non-dominant culture’s origin story…while the dominant culture is able to profit —whether financially or socially—by the act of appropriation” (118).

Write an essay using Saad’s definition of cultural appropriation and apply it to a potential instance of cultural appropriation you see out in the world. How does the dominant culture benefit from the non-dominant culture’s story? How has the origin story stripped away?

In Week 2, Saad focuses on anti-Blackness as it manifests against Black men, women, and children. Find an instance of racist stereotypes used against Black men, women, or children and analyze how it upholds white supremacist attitudes.

The Me and White Supremacy challenge began as a viral social media challenge on Instagram. What is the relationship between antiracism work, education, and social media? What is the difference between true allyship on Instagram as opposed to “optical allyship”? 

If you have completed the 28-day journaling challenge, consider which day and prompt challenged you the most. Write an essay explaining how and why it challenged you, and how you plan to address the concerns this prompt brought up moving forward.

Saad often uses personal anecdotes to demonstrate the various aspects of white supremacy throughout the book. Why does she include these anecdotes? What do they contribute to the challenge that would not otherwise be present?