Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race

Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race

Debby Irving2014
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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Reviews

Photo of Matthew Royal
Matthew Royal@masyukun
3 stars
Feb 13, 2023

One white woman's story about getting woke on race. There aren't a lot of *new* ideas in this book, but it's a good personal account of eyes opening to systemic racism from a person who didn't believe she had a race, or that race was really an issue any more, or thought that our culture is a pure meritocracy. This is a good intro book to gift *that* friend, and for us white people, a good reminder to be aware of our own culture, biases, and to see the impacts of historical racism on today's societal infrastructure.

Photo of Tim Pennington-Russell
Tim Pennington-Russell@timpr
4 stars
Dec 15, 2022
Photo of Genevieve Soucek
Genevieve Soucek@gsoucek
5 stars
Aug 12, 2022
Photo of Nicki
Nicki@xoninnip
4 stars
Apr 8, 2022
Photo of Lillie Hunter
Lillie Hunter@lillielillie
4 stars
Feb 7, 2022
Photo of Laura
Laura@readingthroughlondon
2 stars
Nov 11, 2021

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