New Book: How White Activists Embrace Racial Justice

Posted by on September 03, 2010

Many white Americans think racism is largely a thing of the past, and as such have settled into a passivity regarding racial inequality. What will it take to have white Americans care enough about racism to take a stand for racial equality?

In FIRE IN THE HEART: How White Activists Embrace Racial Justice (Oxford | September 2010) I uncover the processes through which white Americans become activists for racial justice. This first study of its kind reports accounts of the development of racial awareness drawn from in-depth interviews with fifty white activists in the fields of community organizing, education, and criminal justice reform. The interviews demonstrate how white Americans can develop a commitment to racial justice, not simply because it is the right thing to do, but because they see the cause as their own. I find that motivation to take action for racial justice is moral and relational and show how white activists come to find common cause with people of color when their core values are engaged, as they build relationships with people of color that lead to caring, and when they develop a vision of a racially just future that they understand to benefit everyone–themselves, other whites, and people of color. The book also considers the complex dynamics and dilemmas white people face in working in multiracial organizations committed to systemic change in America’s racial order, and provides a deeper understanding and appreciation of the role that white people can play in efforts to promote racial justice.

If you are interested in adopting this book for a course or reviewing it for a journal, magazine, or newspaper, please contact Alina Smyslova at Alina.Smyslova@oup.com or 212-726-6190 to receive a review copy.

“Fire in the Heart is a one-of-a-kind look at the motivations, tribulations, and contributions of white allies in the racial justice struggle. It brings to life the human dimension of social activism, and the voices of the activists included herein by Mark Warren are a true inspiration!” – Tim Wise, author of White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son

“In his timely, well-researched, and profoundly creative book, Mark Warren enables us to appreciate the power of moral understanding as a major source of the motivation to act, especially in ways that challenge the status quo. By focusing on racial ‘border crossers,’ people engaged in what seems to be inherently paradoxical action, he takes us well beyond the arid models of human motivation all too common in social
science. By reconnecting ‘head, hands, and heart’ he helps us understand the courage to make change. And by combining the richness of narrative with systematic analysis, he makes a genuinely unique contribution to our understanding of why we do what we do. Warren’s book, like his first one, is of unusual value to scholars, practitioners, and the interested public.” – Marshall Ganz, author of Why David Sometimes Wins

“Based on rich and detailed data from interviews with 50 progressive white activists across the country, Mark Warren paints a vivid portrait of how some whites develop an awareness of racial injustice and a commitment to combat it. In the process, he persuasively demonstrates what is necessary for whites to find common ground with people of color. Anyone who cares about the future of race relations in America should read this book.” – William Julius Wilson, Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor, Harvard University

“We need all Americans working together to ensure all people–regardless of race–have access to economic and social opportunity. Mark Warren’s insightful book reminds us that a deep and lasting national commitment to justice is hard, necessary work. The color line must stop serving as a barrier to national progress.” – Angela Glover Blackwell, co-author of Uncommon Common Ground: Race and America’s Future

“In a society where racial inequality and injustice have been passively accepted as part of the American social fabric, it is critical to understand what it will take for a greater number of individuals to become committed to its eradication. This book provides that insight and it does so with clarity and passion. Advancing the cause of racial justice in education and beyond requires just this kind of activist scholarship.” – Pedro Noguera, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education, New York University

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mark R. Warren is Associate Professor of Education at Harvard University. He is a sociologist and has published widely on community organizing and on efforts to build alliances across race and class to revitalize urban communities, reform public education and expand democracy.