What's Up with White Women?
Unpacking Sexism and White Privilege in Pursuit of Racial Justice
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As a white woman, ask yourself: are you upholding or fighting racism?
What's Up with White Women? is a practical guide for white women who are interested in becoming more effective in their cross-cultural, anti-racist practices.
Blending real-life stories, theory, and anti-racism practices from decades of on-the-ground work, the authors invite white women to understand their gendered role in systemic racism and their unique opportunity for action. Both frank and compassionate, coverage includes:
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Stories of white women's experiences with sexism, racism, and white privilege
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How white women harm BIPOC and ourselves by colluding with systems of oppression
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Why and how white women often hijack race conversations
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A powerful six-stage identity development model for self-reflection and growth
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Guiding questions and practical actions for strengthening anti-racism practices
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Tools to cultivate genuine partnerships with BIPOC individuals and groups.
White women are positioned in a power hierarchy between white men and BIPOC. It is time for white women to step up and undertake deep reflection on their role in systemic racism and take concrete actions that support equity and justice for all people.
What's Up With White Women Book Launch
What's Up With White Women Book Launch
Ilsa Govan and Tilman Smith — What's Up with White Women?
Ilsa Govan and Tilman Smith with Karena Hooks: What's Up with White Women?
Roundabout Books Author Event: What's Up with White Women by Ilsa Govan and Tilman Smith
2022 WINNER
Silver Ippy Award
in Current Events II Category
Social Issues/Humanitarian
Donations
Proceeds from What's Up with White Women? Unpacking Sexism and White Privilege in Pursuit of Racial Justice benefit Tsuru for Solidarity and The Unspoken Truths. As two white women, the authors feel earnings from book sales should benefit POC-led organizations. Please join us in supporting their important work!
The UnSpoken Truths
Delbert Richardson is the Founder and Curator of the National Award winning American History Traveling Museum: The Unspoken Truths. The Museum chronicles the rich history of Africans in Africa prior to American Chattel Slavery, the experiences and impact of American Chattel Slavery and of the Jim Crow Era, while also detailing the many contributions African Americans have had on scientific, cultural, and technological inventions/innovations in the U.S., and the world.
The Museum’s mission is to re-educate learners of all ages, in a manner that leads to self- restoration and community healing, with the eventual goal of implementing its teachings into school curricula, institutions, and organizations committed to cultural competence and social justice.
Tsuru for Solidarity
Tsuru for Solidarity is a nonviolent, direct action project of Japanese American social justice advocates and allies working to end detention sites and support directly impacted immigrant and refugee communities that are being targeted by racist, inhumane immigration policies. We stand on the moral authority of Japanese Americans who suffered the atrocities and legacy of U.S. concentration camps during WWII and we say, “Stop Repeating History!”
Never Again is NOW.
Our mission is to:
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educate, advocate, and protest to close all U.S. concentration camps;
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build solidarity with other communities of color that have experienced forced removal, detention, deportation, separation of families, and other forms of racial and state violence;
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coordinate intergenerational, cross-community healing circles addressing the trauma of our shared histories.
About the Authors
Ilsa Govan
Equity and justice have always been a priority in how Ilsa lives on the planet. One of the earliest phrases she learned to say was, "That's not fair!" and she believes we do children and our society a disservice when we encourage people to accept that, "Life's not fair."
Ilsa has more than 15 years of experience as a facilitator, consultant, writer and social justice activist. She has led conversations about racial equity at workshops and conferences across the country and helps coordinate the white caucus at the annual national White Privilege Conference. Prior to Cultures Connecting, Ilsa worked as an Equity and Race Specialist for Seattle Public Schools where she was tasked with addressing institutional racism in a large organization.
She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Special Education from Western Washington University and her Master's Degree in Bicultural Human Development from Pacific Oaks College Northwest. Ilsa is deeply invested in examining how her own identity influences her interactions with others, particularly through the lens of privilege and oppression.
Tilman Smith
Tilman Smith has been an educator and project manager for over thirty-five years, serving as a classroom teacher, administrator, field supervisor, college instructor, caucus facilitator, trainer, and coach. She has facilitated workshops throughout the country on the topics of anti-bias curriculum, white privilege, internalized sexism, and internalized white superiority and co-founded two community white caucuses in the Puget Sound area that supported educators and community activists for over twenty years. Most recently, Tilman has been consulting with government and non-profit agencies as a race-based caucus organizer, facilitator, and executive coach.
She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in French and History from the University of Colorado and her Master’s Degree in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College Northwest. Tilman has contributed writings on anti-racism and cross-cultural competency in Soy Bilingüe: Adult Dual Language Model (Edited by Dr. Sharon Cronin); in Culture and Power in the Classroom (Edited by Dr. Antonia Darder) and was fortunate enough to be included in Dr. Shakti Butler’s film, Cracking the Codes; The System of Racial Inequity.