Publishers Weekly
11/06/2023
Lawyer Gilliam shares in her unflinching debut “the unvarnished truths ‘your Black friend’ won’t say to your face.” In particular, she addresses the “Good White People and blue-state progressives” who ostensibly support anti-racism but uphold the status quo in subtler ways, whether by trotting out a “race résumé” to prove their allyship (“I voted for Obama!”) or “kumbayaing for reconciliation.” Both actions can invalidate the feelings of people of color and distract from the difficult, real-life work of anti-racism, according to Gilliam. Instead, readers should “stop asking POCs to explain racism—educate yourself”; prioritize marginalized people’s feelings when discussing race; and steer clear of such culturally appropriative behavior as “blackfishing,” or altering one’s appearance with makeup, tanners, or photo filters to seem “more Black.” Eventually, readers can become “racism disruptors” by taking action (intervening when one sees “microaggressive behavior”; supporting affirmative action) on behalf of marginalized communities. Gilliam’s tone is refreshingly frank throughout, and her advice is generous and detailed, whether she’s unpacking the latent racism in everyday interactions (for example, the use of coded language and phrases, including discussion of “Black-on-Black crime” and “good” versus “bad” neighborhoods) or racial inequities woven through social systems (including voter restrictions and school zoning). Those looking to move beyond performative allyship will find this an excellent resource. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
" ...Gilliam’s tone is refreshingly frank throughout, and her advice is generous and detailed, whether she’s unpacking the latent racism in everyday interactions (for example, the use of coded language and phrases, including discussion of ‘Black-on-Black crime’ and ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ neighborhoods) or racial inequities woven through social systems (including voter restrictions and school zoning). Those looking to move beyond performative allyship will find this an excellent resource."
—Publishers Weekly
“A practical manual for white people who are ‘floundering in cross-racial interactions and slipping when sharing views on people of color.’ . . . Well-informed, hard-hitting advice for antiracists.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A valuable tool for navigating an increasingly diverse world.”
– Wellesley Magazine
“A powerful book that could have been titled ‘Tough Love for White People’ …. [Gilliam’s] unflinching candor [is] an expression of love and commitment to the betterment of individuals, communities, and our country.”
—New RoAR News
“Bold and thought-provoking. Fatimah Gilliam doesn’t shy away from hard truths we must hear, say, and do to hold ourselves accountable and disrupt racism.”
—Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation
“Fatimah Gilliam uncovers racism where it is most effortlessly reproduced – in the quotidian interactions that confirm and maintain our sense of what is normal in society. She recognizes that the deep structural persistence of racism can be challenged in significant ways if all of us (but especially those with superior privilege) develop repertoires for everyday disruptive practices.”
—Angela Y. Davis, Distinguished Professor Emerita, UC Santa Cruz; 2020 Time 100 Icon; and 1971 Time Woman of the Year
“Pay attention to every word of this book. Building a truly just society depends on truth telling about how even allies benefit from systemic racism and unwittingly contribute to racial trauma. This is hard work, but, as Fatimah Gilliam suggests, this is necessary medicine. Race Rules invites us to dream of a different future, and gives us the tools we need for individual and social healing.”
—Rabbi Sharon Brous, Founding Rabbi of IKAR
“This action-oriented book is a groundbreaking tool for disrupting racism and moving our country toward progress one person at a time.”
—Congressman Jamaal Bowman, US House of Representatives
“This self-improvement book on unlearning racism is courageous. Fatimah Gilliam rolls up her sleeves, steps onto an empty platform that many dare not approach, taps the microphone, and speaks with the power of truth.”
—Harry Lennix, actor
“Fatimah Gilliam says the quiet part out loud. She tells readers what they need to hear and are too afraid to ask. Race Rules is deeply pragmatic, serving as an instruction manual on creating anti-racist workplaces and communities.”
—Naheed K. Nenshi, former Mayor, Calgary, Canada
“This eye-opening book provides rare access to the inner thoughts many people of color privately think but don’t share, lifting the veil to help readers learn. It includes history, straight-talk advice, and a healthy dose of action steps. Fatimah Gilliam goes beyond the Black experience. Race Rules discusses how structural racism and implicit bias broadly harm all people of color, including Native peoples. A critical book!”
—Professor Patty Ferguson-Bohnee, voting rights and federal Indian law scholar, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University
“‘I don’t see color.’ ‘I’m not a racist but…’ This book explains why microaggressions communicate white supremacist messages even when people think they’re communicating the opposite. Fatimah Gilliam is the Black friend who tells white America how and why particular phrases wound and damage. She is the Black friend who corrects invalid beliefs about race and racism. This is an important book that unpacks the harms of language and the beliefs behind the language used.”
—Professor William Darity, Jr., Director of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity, Duke University
“Remarkably witty, audacious, and vital. An absolute page turner. A kick-in-the-pants reference book for whites about systemic racism. Superb for everyday, corporate, and HR readers and classroom instruction.”
—Professor Taura Taylor, race scholar and sociologist, Morehouse College
“Race Rules is a refreshing and groundbreaking road map to tackling racism. This book provides practical, real-time advice on what to actually do. It’s a transformative how-to guide to course-correct for daily microaggressions, behaviors, and choices that can offend and harm people of color.”
—Jennifer Brown, inclusive leadership expert and bestselling author of How to Be an Inclusive Leader
Kirkus Reviews
2023-12-06
How to fight racial injustice.
As a light-skinned woman of color, Gilliam, a former corporate attorney and diversity expert, has witnessed “a consistent, daily pattern” of transgressions by white people in their remarks and attitudes about race. “I see you, you don’t see me,” she writes, “and in not seeing me, you don’t see yourselves but reveal yourselves to me, and I see you even more.” These white people would bristle at the idea that they are racist; many are liberal Democrats or “wannabe wokes” who vigorously denounce white supremacy. Still, Gilliam asserts, they’re steeped in a racist culture that’s taught them racial stereotypes and fed their assumptions about people of color. “Real racism,” she’s discovered, “involves everyday white people who work with you, screen candidates at your job, live with you, walk dogs near your home, play with your kids, and sit at your holiday dinner table.” The author provides a practical manual for white people who are “floundering in cross-racial interactions and slipping when sharing views on people of color.” In seven sections that encompass 30 rules, the book presents situation-specific dos and don’ts on issues such as racial injustice, violence, cultural appropriation, microaggressions, and tokenism, with one overarching Race Rule: “Choose To Disrupt Racism Every Day.” Each section ends with questions for self-reflection, which Gilliam underscores as crucial for change. “Without self-reflection and personal accountability,” she writes, “few will see nor admit that through their actions and apathy they oppress, cause pain, and disadvantage people of color to maintain power and privilege.” Systemic advantages fuel white privilege, Gilliam argues, debunking the myth of the American dream, which she sees as elusive for people of color, while white people benefit from White Welfare: “society’s ultimate entitlement program for whites built on historic oppression, racial discrimination, and white-centered opportunity.”
Well-informed, hard-hitting advice for antiracists.
