Whiteness and Antiracism
Kevin Lally
Publication Date: April 29, 2022
Pages: 192
Q: How did the idea for your book, “Whiteness and Antiracism,” come to you?
A: I’m building on the work of Black thinkers like W.E.B. Du Bois, James Baldwin and Toni Morrison, who have told us for decades to focus antiracist work on Whiteness and White people. I was raised with McIntosh’s idea of the invisible knapsack of White privilege. That’s what I was taught, and that’s what I taught my students. (Editor’s note: “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” is a 1989 essay by Peggy McIntosh, an anti-racism activist and scholar.)
Only it didn’t work. Despite years of trying, it didn’t seem to move anyone or change anyone’s heart or mind. I didn’t have the right tools to address these good-hearted White kids, and that problem became the basis for “Whiteness and Antiracism.” We need new tools to address White supremacy and racism. I hope this book is a step in that direction.
Read the full Q&A at The Park Bugle