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Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race Paperback – January 9, 2014

by Debby Irving (Author)

370 customer reviews

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For twenty-five years, Debby Irving sensed inexplicable racial tensions in her personal and professional relationships. As a colleague and neighbor, she worried about offending people she dearly wanted to befriend. As an arts administrator, she didn't understand why her diversity efforts lacked traction. As a teacher, she found her best efforts to reach out to students and families of color left her wondering what she was missing. Then, in 2009, one "aha!" moment launched an adventure of discovery and insight that drastically shifted her worldview and upended her life plan. In Waking Up White, Irving tells her often cringe-worthy story with such openness that readers will turn every page rooting for her-and ultimately for all of us.

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Editorial Reviews

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"Debby Irving's powerful Waking Up White opens a rare window on how white Americans are socialized. Irving's focus on the mechanics of racism operating in just one life -- her own -- may lead white readers to reconsider the roots of their own perspectives -- and their role in dismantling old myths. Readers of color will no doubt find the view through Irving's window fascinating, and telling." -- Van Jones, author, Rebuild The Dream, The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems; President, Rebuild The Dream; Co-host, CNN Crossfire

"Waking up White is a brutally honest, unflinching exploration of race and personal identity, told with heart by a truly gifted storyteller. Much as Irving's family sought to shield her from the contours of the nation's racial drama, so too do far too many white Americans continue to do the same. For their sakes, and ours, let's hope Irving's words spark even more truth-telling. They certainly have the power to do so." -- Tim Wise, author, White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son

"I read Waking Up White in one sitting. To say I loved it is an understatement. It's such a raw, honest portrait .... Irving's experience on display - warts and all - will help white people, who haven't noticed the role systemic privilege has played in their lives, start to see the world in a new way." -- Jodi Picoult, author, The Storyteller, My Sister's Keeper

Irving's personal and moving tale takes us on an adventure to a world utterly new to her as she wakes up to the reality of how, without her knowledge or active pursuit, she lives in a society which is set up to reward her at the expense of people of color. I cannot imagine a more understandable and compelling invitation to learn about how racism lives on in our homes, communities, and nation. -- Bishop Gene Robinson, Retired Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire and Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, Washington, DC

"Deborah Irving's Waking Up White is a courageous, insightful, and critical contribution to awareness of race in the United States. A virtual one-woman Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Deborah's journey from an 'ah-ha' instant to consciousness is a journey for all Americans." -- Thomas Shapiro, author, The Hidden Cost of Being African American; Director, Institute on Assets and Social Policy

From the Author

Dear readers - Thank you so much for your interest in Waking Up White. I hope it will give you or someone you know new insights into how racism works and why you (or white people you know) can get so anxious when it comes to talking about race and racism. Writing the book was not only my way to reach out to other white people confused and/or curious about racism, it was like writing a five-year long journal entry in an effort to make sense of all I learned and experienced in my research. Happy reading ~ Debby

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Elephant Room Press; 1 edition (January 9, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0991331303
ISBN-13: 978-0991331307
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 370 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,188 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #54 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National
- #210 in Books > Education & Teaching
- #214 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Memoirs

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IthacaNancy

Great For Adjusting Perspective

November 18, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Although I have a masters degree in social work and each of our courses addressed issues of class and race, this book still helped me recognize times when I misstepped and let me anxiety about race interfere with a real connection. I think it is a helpful book for the many who may not have had a close relationship with people of color and who may need help seeing the many ways we misunderstand and disrespect them. I read this in conjunction with a study group, and the discussion was very helpful. It reads quickly and the discussion questions are useful for the group or individual contemplation.

Comment 11 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

CLDean

Life Altering

May 5, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

As an African American woman I can truly say. She gets it. She really gets it. I think this is a must read for everyone.

Comment 41 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

Lillian B.Werner

An Awakening

November 3, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Excellent account of they many ways "White Privilege" is manifested every day, in every way imagined, without people being consciously aware of it.
Being able to first acknowledge this fact, is an accomplishment. Beyond that, being willing to share this with the world, through this book, shows great courage, and provides a pathway to an increased understanding of this systemic practice, as it continues today.

As a person of color, I don't expect "White people" to carry the burden of what started long ago. That's not what I want you to gain from reading this book. I just want you to be able to acknowledge, by God, these things really did happen; they continue to happen today; this is wrong; how can we as a nation change this...together.

Comment 40 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

Marthajane Cassidey

A personal account of a woman's quest to understand the point of view of the black community. Powerful.

September 27, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This topic is particularly interesting to me as a native Alabamian. This book helped me to understand the topic of white privilege better than anything else I have read because the author grew up in the South with the same prejudices that I was taught. I feel that I have a better understanding of systemic racism and its enduring effect on black people after reading this book.

Comment 4 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

Rose Varner-Gaskins

Insightful!

March 5, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Very insightful on the subject of race. Racism is often a topic that draws lines and causes people on either side to get defensive. She provides many examples that help to clarify why it takes some whites so long to understand racism and how it's imbedded into the fabric of this nation and the world (what and how we're taught about history and the fallacies that we comfortably accept). Racism is a tragedy and damages masses of people. It's great to hear someone white openly share why it takes a while to understand why and how racism exists and that it's alive and well here in America.

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Mark Peterson

A must read.

October 9, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is an amazing book which drives home how white folks are totally unaware of how privileged they are. If you want to understand how you could be inadvertently racist because of your upbringing, read this book. Here's one example that shocked me. After WWII the GI's came home and were praised and lauded for what they did. The government created two programs to help them: the GI Bill to support educating them, and loans for buying a house. These two programs secretly excluded most blacks who'd fought in the war, condemning them to a poorer job prospect and less housing opportunities. That is disgraceful. Irving's book will open your eyes. f your willing to be open..

Comment 35 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

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Neal Allen

Too close to home.

November 25, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I love/hated this book. I grew up in the South during Jim Crow, and though I believed I had overcome much of the stuff I learned growing up the book made me realize I have a long way to go. I hope it's not to late for me.

Comment 14 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

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Diking77

Hard Self-Examination

January 5, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I would have to say this is the most difficult book I've read. It forced me with every word and sentence to stop and think about all the things I've done wrong and continue to do wrong. It is a must read for every white person who cares about our future as a country of all races.

Comment 16 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

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Most recent customer reviews

Fern

This book is amazing, page turning.

Very good. Great to find on Amazon.

Published 15 hours ago

Kathleen Knight

What a wonderful book and experience

What a wonderful book and experience. Although I don't associate with everything she experiences in the book, it has helped me realize there are many, many more white people that...Read more

Published 4 days ago

CheryllAK

Five Stars

This is an excellent book and wish could get more people to read and discuss-- enlightening for white people

Published 6 days ago

nursepeg

easy to read and excellent for discussion in a book ...

It is an interesting and thought-provoking book, easy to read and excellent for discussion in a book group.

Published 8 days ago

Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Excellent book for use as discussion topic

Published 11 days ago

Navyne R Kline

Can you say over kill?

If the purpose of this book is to make us more sensitive to our attitudes, it failed. It turned me off to even wanting try. I just wanted to curl up and crawl into a hole.

Published 11 days ago

Jonathan Slavens

Five Stars

very interesting read

Published 14 days ago

Nebraska reader

Four Stars

excellent book - being used here as part of a white privilege curriculum for a community

Published 17 days ago

john rudberg

Five Stars

Great book.

Published 19 days ago

Amazon Customer

Not just about waking up white -

I read this book as part of a church project to better understand my own thoughts regarding race and found a tool that could be used to understand all different kinds of people.Read more

Published 22 days ago

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