The White Allies Handbook

You’ve read White Fragility and How to Be an Antiracist, but what comes next? The answer lies in this clear, actionable guide providing a vital 4-week program for becoming an ally who makes a real difference in the racial justice fight. Get the tools you need to get off the sidelines and onto the frontlines of allyship, combat racism while supporting Black women, and avoid common pitfalls white people fall into when they think about and discuss racism.

“[T]his timely, no-nonsense handbook offers an important blueprint for White allies to carry out the often uncomfortable but necessary work of promoting racial equality among all marginalized people. Welcome straight talk for a new age in race relations.” —Kirkus Reviews

by Lecia Michelle 

Black women have always been the driving force behind real change in this country—especially when it comes to racial justice work. But they shouldn’t have to do it alone. If you’re ready to stop standing on the sidelines and become anti-racist instead of passively “not racist,” then this book is what you need.

You’ll discover:

• How to have difficult conversations about white supremacy, racism, and white privilege
• How to listen to criticism without defensiveness
• Why it’s harmful to ignore race or claim to be colorblind
• How to expand your racial justice circle by joining groups led by Black women and cultivating a group of like-minded allies

Racism can only be defeated if white people educate themselves and actively engage in antiracism work, especially in their inner circles. With this book, you’ll learn how to change from someone who defends and protects racism to someone who fights against it. And you’ll become an example to others that true allies are made, not born.

Paperback | 256 pages | Dafina | July 2022

Lecia Michelle is a librarian and anti-racist educator. In 2016, they created the Facebook group “Real Talk: WOC & Allies for Racial Justice and Anti-Oppression” to address the importance of white women becoming allies to WOC. Since then, they’ve spoken on panels, mentored potential allies and written articles about systemic racism. They wrote “The White Allies Handbook” because allies needed an action-based resource to help them begin their journey as an ally. It’s not enough to read about racism. We must take action. This book is the first step in a lifelong journey of allyship.