From the Publisher
“Through unflinching and impeccable scholarship, White Work and Reparative Genealogy weaves separated narratives of slave/owner; black/white; self/other; past/present into a single, silken thread of reckoning. Not only is “the past, not even past,” it lives within us all in every cell, defining our present and, absent recognition, condemning the future. White Work and Reparative Genealogy leaves us naked before the truth demanding personal accountability for what and how we each became who we are.” (G.A. Bradshaw, Founder, The Kerulos Center for Nonviolence)
“Of essential relevance for the present moment, this book demonstrates just how deeply racism is embedded in white American society and what is involved in the process of repair. As a descendant of enslavers, Watkins leads by example. She investigates her family’s slave owning history and helps readers understand the importance of reparative genealogy or “white work.” Watkins shows us that truth-telling must begin with a willingness to uncover painful personal histories that have been silenced and discarded. With Watkins we are fortunate to have an expert guide to lead the way.” (Roger Frie, author of “Not in My Family: German Memory and Responsibility after the Holocaust”)
“This book is meant to help those of us who are white to engage in a process of deep ancestral recovery and committed action. While personal and tied to the study of one’s family history, Watkins shows us that such a process is only complete when white Americans choose to carry forward a radical vision of reparations, or what W.E.B. DuBois called, “Abolition Democracy.” Such a vision tends to the material, traumatic, and intergenerational impacts of white supremacy on Black communities while ushering in the society that working people of all colors desperately need, one where workplace democracies reign, economic rights are guaranteed, the natural world we call home is restored, and the solidarity of the masses is no longer broken by manufactured racial division.” (David Dean, political educator and author of the forthcoming book, “Roots Deeper than Whiteness”)
“If the question is (and how can it not be) what to do about white supremacy, White Work and Reparative Genealogy is our guide. Watkins tells a story of radical social transformation—it’s history, hesitancies, imperative, ethics and praxis. It’s a blueprint for how to address racial debt and usher in a more just world.” (Deanne Bell, Associate Professor, Race, Education and Social Justice, University of Birmingham)
“White Work and Reparative Genealogy is “history from the heart” at its very finest. Bravely working through her ignorance about a centuries-long ancestral history of enslaving and racism, Watkins lays out a clear path of repair for white readers no longer willing to turn a blind eye to slavery and its destructive afterlives.” (Lynne Layton, author of “Toward a Social Psychoanalysis: Culture, Character, and Normative Unconscious Processes”)
“A unique and valuable read, White Work and Reparative Genealogy, by Mary Watkins, weaves together the results of a deep dive into her family history and its links to specific, place-based racism and enslavement with psychological theory and possibilities for reparative action. The story and analysis are compelling and insightful, encouraging white readers to cultivate the inner strength and humility necessary for white people to face our collective history and engage in reparative work for the sake of ourselves and the broader community.” (Shelly Tochluk, author of “Witnessing Whiteness: The Journey into Racial Awareness and Antiracist Action”)
“In this carefully researched and clearly written “intervention in current struggles over historical memory,” psychologist Mary Watkins articulates through her settler ancestral narrative the systemic impacts of chattel slavery, Jim Crow, and continuing racial injustice. Her moral discipline of practicing truth over comfort models curiosity and humility over defensiveness and denial, such as reading slave narratives to unmask forgotten or silenced family storylines that perpetuate a “fog of unknowing.” Her focus on supporting Black-led efforts for reparations is a critical catechism for white settlers in the US. Watkins’ masterful exploration of what I call “landlines, bloodlines and songlines” is both personally invitational and politically strategic.” (Elaine Enns, co-author of “Healing Haunted Histories: A Settler Discipleship of Decolonization”)
“Courageously reckoning with her ancestors' histories and honestly exploring her own personal stories, Mary Watkins raises an essential inquiry. In the wake of colonialism, slavery, systemic white supremacy and capitalism, what is the work of white people, now? By detailing her commitment to reparative action rooted in systems of care, Mary offers a path for white settlers to move forward in integrity, wholeness, and right relations.” (Hilary Giovale, author of “Becoming a Good Relative: Calling White Settlers toward Truth, Healing, and Repair”)
“This is the book I’ve been waiting for. Reading White Work and Reparative Genealogy feels like sitting with the wise and unflinching elder I know I need. Mary Watkins brings her lifetime of liberatory scholarship, spiritual inquiry, and community-rooted practice to the work of racial reckoning and repair. She speaks directly to those of us called to do the inner and ancestral work that can make reparations possible. Her words hold the grief, clarity, and vision we need to move toward long overdue action. As someone who supports white people to redistribute inherited wealth, I know how needed this book is—for grounding, for guidance, and for the long haul.” (Morgan Curtis, ‘Ancestors & Money’ Cohort Facilitator)
