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

The final week of the challenge asks participants to consider issues of power and relationships while committing to antiracist work, specifically touching on white feminism, white leaders, friends, family, values, losing privilege, and commitment to antiracism. Since the majority of the previous three weeks focused on topics regarding dismantling white supremacy, the entries for the fourth week are somewhat shorter, with more room devoted to personal reflection on relationships with BIPOC and the commitment to antiracist work moving beyond Day 28.

Day 22 centers on white feminism, which is a term used to describe how “feminism” has historically highlighted white cisgender women’s struggles over the struggles of BIPOC. This form of feminism ignores oppression that comes with race in addition to other marginalized identities including class, age, sexual orientation, ability, and more.

This is problematic because it provides evidence that white women do not have to consider their white privilege or oppression on the basis of race while asking BIPOC to focus on their gender before their race while fighting oppression. Asking BIPOC to put their gender before their race in regard to hierarchical power is a larger part of white supremacist patriarchy and ignores the fact that they are oppressed because they are Black women. Throughout the history of the women’s rights movement, BIWOC (Black Indigenous Women of Color) were routinely left out of the conversation or forced to table their racial oppression.

White feminism can be seen when white feminists reference the pay gap between men and women without mentioning the pay gaps also inherent between BIPOC and white women; when they claim talking about race distracts from fights for gender equality; when white feminists show up for the U.S. Women’s March but not a Black Lives Matter march; believing that Muslim feminists who wear hijab are not true feminists; excluding the works of BIWOC writers; and more. These actions are merely another branch of white supremacy. The focus needs to be on Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw’s “intersectional feminism”—a form of feminism centering how people’s identities are structured by their race, gender, class, ability, sexual orientation, and more. This day’s reflection prompts ask the participant to consider how their idea of feminism has centered white women and minimized BIPOC; how their idea of feminism has erased or ignored BIPOC thought leaders; and how, if they identify as an intersectional feminist, they have centered BIWOC.

Moving into Day 23, Saad discusses the relationship between the white participant and white leadership to which they may have access, including—but not limited to—teachers, public figures, business management, politicians, worship leaders, community leaders, and others. Because white leaders are in positions of real authority, they have a responsibility to listen to others, which means leaders can help do better for BIPOC in the community. This day’s reflective journaling prompts focus on how the participant can intervene when witnessing a white leader utilize white supremacist behavior; how the participant will overcome their own white fragility and white silence to say something; how insecurity may hold them back; and if they are in a leadership position, how they plan to hold themself accountable in the future.

Day 24 has to do with white people’s relationships with their friends—including acquaintances, coworkers, peers, colleagues, and more. For those with white privilege, having proximity and rapport with friends means that these friends may be keener on listening to and engaging in antiracism practice. This day’s reflective journaling prompts ask the participant to recall how they have responded to racist incidents with friends in the past; how they have made excuses for friends or stayed silent; who they may feel more comfortable speaking up in front of; how they have risked friendships through calling in/out racist behavior; how and if they plan to invite friends to do anti-racist work; and more.

Day 25 shifts the reflections to family members. No matter how difficult someone’s relationship is with their family, this does not excuse them from doing antiracist work. Like friendships, people with white privilege have a great deal of influence with family members—particularly parents who can choose to practice antiracism in front of their children. Even for more liberal or progressive families, white and white-privileged participants have an opportunity to call in/out family members and engage them in antiracist work for themselves. Today’s journaling prompts ask the participant to outline how they feel about speaking up about racism to family members; how their behavior has been excused due to age or the desire to “keep the peace” (189); how white comfort is prioritized over antiracism in their family; and more.

On Day 26, Saad defines personal values as

…the principles and standards that guide how we live our lives and where we choose to place our energy. Our values are our personal set of beliefs that determine our actions and what is most important to us in life (191).

For people with white privilege, part of owning that privilege means reckoning with the fact that white supremacy conditions people to have certain white supremacist values. This may manifest as white superiority, or even the desire to appear a “good white person.” Rather than valuing the appearance of being good, Saad prompts participants to consider what it would be like to hold privilege yet still commit to lifelong antiracism work. This day’s journal prompts asks the participant to consider how their values have helped them so far in antiracism work; what contradictory values they may hold; what new values they may need to integrate to continue practicing antiracism work; and more.

Moving into Day 27, Saad acknowledges that in order to dismantle white supremacy, white people and those with white privilege will inevitably need to lose some of their privilege. White privilege provides a lot of comfort, advantages, power, and protection, much of which will be lost with racial equity. A willingness to lose privilege may look like taking responsibility for antiracist education moving forward; bringing friends and family with white privilege into antiracist work; donating money to causes devoted to liberating BIPOC; becoming a patron of Black-run businesses; amplifying BIPOC voices everywhere; calling in/out leaders and organizations for harmful behavior towards BIPOC; and risking relationships and friendships when calling out white supremacist behavior. The journaling prompts on this day asks the participant to consider how their privilege will need to change to continue antiracist work; how they will need to show up differently; the risks they will need to take; how they will decenter whiteness and the white gaze; and their willingness to lose their white privilege.

The final day, Day 28, asks the participant to understand antiracism as lifelong work and practice. Although this is the end of the challenge, it is certainly not the end of the work. While this work is emotionally challenging, it is also necessary:

Holding that burden and really being with that truth is an important part of the work that people with white privilege must do. BIPOC have been holding the burden of what it feels like to be oppressed and marginalized their whole lives and back through their ancestry for generations. The devastation, anger, and confusion you are feeling are part of the work too (199).

Superficial white behavior like tokenism and white saviorism are surface level solutions to problems that require deep, challenging work, ones that require structural change in order to be fixed.

Saad asks the participant not to “promise” to continue antiracist work because it is more than likely they will break such a promise at some point by making mistakes, forgetting, or taking comfort in white privilege and security. Since antiracism does not require perfection, Saad reminds the participant that they can continue learning, showing up to do the work, and keep advocating on behalf of BIPOC. The final journaling prompts ask the participant to write three out-of-your-comfort-zone antiracist actions they can take in the next two weeks. They will also write a commitment statement about how they plan to show up and do this work in the future. This commitment should be put somewhere where the participant will see it everyday and can be shared with an accountability partner. Saad encourages participants not to see this as a closed document, but a living one that can change and evolve over the coming months and years.