Facing the White Shadow: How to Tame Your Racism and Become a True Ally to People of Color

by Marlene F. Watson PhD LMFT, Laura Markowitz

Overview

Facing the White Shadow: How to Tame Your Racism and Become a True Ally to People of Color is for White people who are just starting the work of understanding their racism and also for those who have been doing the work but still experience anxiety and wonder what they might be doing wrong. Many White people often feel feel overwhelmed, ashamed, and confused about how to be trustworthy antiracist allies to people of color. Facing the White Shadow is a self-help book that guides White readers to understand and manage their own racism. Readers learn how to be vigilant and talk back to their internalized racism---their White shadows--- so they can enjoy authentic and mutually satisfying relationships with people of color. No more tensing up at work when race is discussed. No more fear of being misunderstood by friends or called out or cancelled on social media. Filled with relatable stories, exercises, and solid advice, this book offers a compassionate framework for White readers without minimizing the devastating effects of racism on people of color. The book is a unique collaboration between a preeminent Black couple and family therapist who is also a longtime trainer in the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a White journalist who has reported on issues of racial, social, and economic justice for decades.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798991395311
Publisher:	Story Bridge Books
Publication date:	05/22/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	232
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Marlene F. Watson, PhD, LMFT is the Director of Training at the Ackerman Institute for the Family in New York, Emerita Associate Professor of Counseling and Family Therapy at Drexel University in Philadelphia, and author of the critically acclaimed book Facing the Black Shadow. She was the first-ever couple and family therapist to receive the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship. She speaks internationally on issues of race to professional and general audiences and was awarded the American Family Therapy Academy's 2009 Distinguished Contribution to Social Justice award. She was also a columnist for Heart & Soul Magazine, dedicated to the health and wellness of African American women. She is a licensed couple and family therapist and maintains a private practice in the Philadelphia area.
Laura Markowitz is a National Magazine Award-winning feature writer, contributing producer for Arizona Public Media, and a book writer and editor. Her articles, radio series, and TV productions focus on social justice and systems change. She is coauthor of Voices On The Economy: How Open- Minded Exploration of Rival Perspectives Can Spark New Solutions to Our Urgent Economic Problems (VOTE 2023), coeditor of The Art of Psychotherapy (Wylie, 1999) and The Evolving Therapist (Guilford, 1992), and former editorin- chief of the award-winning magazine for LGBTQ people and their loved ones, In the Family.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus' Reviews: Watson, a therapist, and co-author Markowitz, a journalist, offer a guide to confronting and overcoming lingering biases, aimed at white allies of people of color. This bracing book focuses less on structural racism in favor of addressing what the authors call the "White shadow" of ingrained bias, ranging from "white rage" (the "hot" rage of white supremacists and the "cold" rage of politicians defending racist laws) to "white voyeurism" and cultural appropriation. Throughout, Watson, who's Black, and Markowitz, who's white, unsparingly describe the many unconscious assumptions that affect white people's interactions with people of color. In each chapter, they emphasize the many harmful effects of unconscious racism, and they conclude each with practical questions and self-examination exercises. The book pulls no punches and is open about the discomfort that this might cause its intended readership; the authors temper their rebukes with compassion, but they're powerfully unsparing in their descriptions of casual racism, especially in the workplace. ... This is a compelling and necessary book that grapples with important and timely issues.


From Readers' Favorite: "This book is a gem for anyone interested in open and frank conversation on a topic that can be very uncomfortable to handle. The authors write in an engaging and compassionate tone and establish the bridge to building meaningful relationships." *5-Star Review*


Facing the White Shadow is a tremendous contribution to our field and to our world's understanding of racism. It's a powerful guide for White people who care about making the world a more equitable place and are committed to undoing their own racism. It is written in a very clear, practical, and above all personal way that engages readers from page one. Every White person should read this book and pass it on to their colleagues, family, and friends. – Monica McGoldrick, MSW, PhD (hc), Director, Multicultural Family Inst.

From the Publisher