How is it that we have been so conditioned to prioritise the emotional comfort of white people? Why does the sight of a white woman crying provoke such placatory responses, even in a context such as this where people of colour have every reason to be scared, upset and even angry? It was not until the following year that I finally began to understand just how crucial it is that we answer these questions. Hamad offers a comprehensive look at the ways in which women of color have been dismissed by society . . . This book should be considered required reading." —Lauren LeBlanc, The Observer Ruby Hamad is a Lebanese-Syrian journalist and author who was raised in Australia. Hamad's work has appeared in Fairfax media, The Guardian, Prospect Magazine, and The New Arab. She is currently a PhD candidate in media and postcolonial studies at the University of New South Wales. She was a contributor to Defiant Daughters (2013). When white people cry foul it is often people of colour who suffer. White tears have a potency that silences racial minorities. White Tears/Brown Scars blows open the inconvenient truth that when it comes to race, white entitlement is too often masked by victimhood. Never is this more obvious than the dealings between women of colour and white women. And then there is a type of trauma inflicted on women of colour that many of us find among the hardest to disclose, the one that few seem willing to admit really happens because it is so thoroughly normalised most people refuse to see it.

It is not weakness or guilt that compels me to capitulate. Rather, as I recently wrote, it is the manufactured reputation Arabs have for being threatening and aggressive that follows us everywhere. In a society that routinely places imaginary “ wide-eyed, angry and Middle Eastern” people at the scenes of violent crimes they did not commit, having a legitimate grievance is no match for the strategic tears of a white damsel in distress whose innocence is taken for granted. A] provocative exploration of the ways—both historic and current—that white women have been dangerous agents of white supremacy . . . Hamad is a rigorous historical reporter and a powerful storyteller, and her work in White Tears/Brown Scars will leave readers appropriately unsettled, enraged, and urged to take action against the Amy Coopers of the world.”—Kristin Iversen, Refinery29 Hamad says it shows white women are part of the problem, not the solution. They have decided they are a rung above women of color, and have hitched their wagons to white males on the top wrung. It is more important for them to be associated with white supremacy than female equality. They would rather fit into the hierarchy of the patriarchy where they are a poor second, than with women of color, who are an even poorer third. Women of color are a lower caste, definitely not worth associating with. The result is this odd habit of white women suddenly bursting into tears when accused, challenged or even just discussing their own racism. A stunning and thorough look at White womanhood that should be required reading for anyone who claims to be an intersectional feminist. Hamad’s controlled urgency makes the book an illuminating and poignant read. Hamad is a purveyor of such bold thinking, the only question is, are we ready to listen?"—Rosa Boshier, The Washington PostWhite women’s tears are fundamental to the success of whiteness. Their distress is a weapon that prevents people of color from being able to assert themselves or to effectively challenge white racism and alter the fundamental inequalities built into the system.” I'd expect a reporter to fully explore and verify information on topics beyond their expertise before committing them to paper. People of colour have never systematically oppressed white people but this has little meaning to whiteness, which, having never experienced it, regards racism as existing in nothing else but words.”

This gave me a better understanding of what my POC friends/family go through in an eye opening way. Did I see things I have done (or stood by without speaking up) that may have contributed to the problem? A stunning and thorough look at White womanhood that should be required reading for anyone who claims to be an intersectional feminist. Hamad’s controlled urgency makes the book an illuminating and poignant read. Hamad is a purveyor of such bold thinking, the only question is, are we ready to listen?”—Rosa Boshier, The Washington PostP owerful and provocative' - Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, author of the Sunday Times bestselling How to be an Antiracist

of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad Amid a sea of recent books about white women’s commitment to white supremacy, White Tears/Brown Scars stands out.”— Bitch Amid a sea of recent books about white women's commitment to white supremacy, White Tears/Brown Scars stands out."— Bitch It's long past time we start caring more about actually not being racist than whether people think we are. It is both amazing and sad how many times and ways this tool gets employed. It seems to be instinctive rather than conspiratorial. And it seems to work every time. Pity the poor white woman. Faced with a real victim – a woman of color – she instead positions herself as a lifelong victim, being accused of victimizing other women! How could anyone think that of her? And so she bursts into tears in the midst of the conversation, effectively ending it before any accusation can be examined for what it might be worth. It is one-upmanship over victimhood, like something out of Monty Python.

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A white woman may well be punished for an emotional outburst when interacting with men, but if she is engaged in a terse interaction with a woman of color and she becomes emotional, by which I mean either angry or distraught, with or without actual tears, the deeply embedded notions of gender and femininity are triggered and it is the white woman who is likely to be vindicated.”

I listened to the audiobook daily while I workout in the gym, and my first thought when the book was over was to yell in my head: “NOOOOO!! I NEED TO HEAR MORE FROM THIS AWESOME AUTHOR!” Taking us from the slave era, when white women fought in court to keep "ownership" of their slaves, through the centuries of colonialism, when they offered a soft face for brutal tactics, to the modern workplace, White Tears/Brown Scars tells a charged story of white women's active participation in campaigns of oppression. It offers a long overdue validation of the experiences of women of color.Speculation with No Sourcing = pg157, referring to a woman with a KKK-like hood and cloak at the 1913 NY Suffrage Parade. Assuming the image referred to is from the cited NYT Staples article, there's no one with anything resembling a hood. In the sole image, the potential suspect is a woman (whose face is obscured by a sign) with an open cape and a hat feather that peeks out like a hood tip. [I looked at other images and couldn't find anything else] Do the work to dismantle your own prejudices in this guided workbook from New York Timesbest-selling author and thinker Roxane Gay. The Brisbane Writers Festival has a slew of MUP authors this year dedicated to sharing their personal memories, discussing timely political issues, examining cultural abuse, disseminating government systems and demystifying gender. Scroll through our blog post to uncover all we have on offer at BWF this year. How is it that we have been so conditioned to prioritize the emotional comfort of white people? Why does the sight of a white woman crying provoke such placatory responses, even in a context such as this where people have every reason to be seared, upset, and even angry? A] provocative exploration of the ways—both historic and current—that white women have been dangerous agents of white supremacy . . . Hamad is a rigorous historical reporter and a powerful storyteller, and her work in White Tears/Brown Scars will leave readers appropriately unsettled, enraged, and urged to take action against the Amy Coopers of the world." —Kristin Iversen, Refinery29