Book Review: Anti-Racist Ally: An Introduction to Activism and Action by Sophie Williams
Anti-Racist Ally: An Introduction to Activism and Action by Sophie Williams
Publisher: Amistad
Publication Date: October 15, 2020
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
Do you want to be an anti-racist ally?
This punchy, pocket-sized guide shows you how, whether you’re using your voice for the first time, or are looking for ways to keep the momentum and make long lasting change.
Sophie Williams’ no-holds-barred posts about racism and Black Lives Matter on @officialmillennialblack have taken the online world by storm. Sharp, simple and insightful, they get to the heart of anti-racist principles and show us all how to truly be better allies.
Now, in her iconic Instagram style, this pocket-sized primer unpacks complex topics into their most important concepts, and provides a crucial starting block for every anti-racist ally.
Anti-Racist Ally is the perfect book for someone just getting started on their journey to becoming anti-racist. If you’ve been on this path for a while, it’s a great book for a quick refresher and inspiration of why we’re doing this work and why it’s so important to keep going.
It’s a short book – the audio clocks in at around an hour. It’s divided into easily digestible, bite-sized chunks of information. I read the print because I knew I’d want to refer back to it and read it more than once. Even though it’s short, it covers a wide range of topics, including how to be anti-racist in the workplace, online and with your family. I really appreciated the section on overcoming your anxiety that you won’t get something right. My very favorite tip was to avoid burnout by preparing a stock answer for the arguments people come up against time and time again, e.g. “All lives matter” and “What about black-on-black crime?” and “Why isn’t there a white history month?” Ugh. We all know how tiring those discussions can be.
Being a pocket-sized book, it would make a perfect stocking stuffer. It’s never too early to start Christmas shopping! Highly recommended.
