This is a good primer for white women just coming to anti-racism work, and gives practical examples from Arnold's own life of where she's messed up and learned from her mistakes, which definitely stops this book from feeling too overwhelming or academic. However, like other white writers working in this field, it does sometimes feel like Arnold is not being as forthright as needed. I therefore think this is a great book for white women just starting out on a journey to dismantle their own racism and become better activists and allies, but for someone who has read extensively on anti-racism movements and Black history in particular, there may be some frustration and a feeling of having read all this before.

Interesting book, hopeful and necessary being read by any woman, actually, the author made and incredible research and you'll feel and learn much.

I struggled a bit with this book, which I think was written to be accessible, but, for me, skims too much along the surface and never dives deeply into what is a very complex set of issues. The style of the book itself, filled with emojis and too many sidenotes, made it hard for me to take the book as seriously as I'd have liked to.

This book is so necessary. While others may have written more concise or eloquent anti racism manifests, Jenna Arnold's treaty to her fellow white women is utterly timely, compassionate, urgent, and important.

This was a timely and thoughtful book that should be mandatory reading for all human beings, regardless of race or gender! Many thanks to Jenna Arnold for trying to make the world a better place.

Thank you also to the publisher BenBella Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I did not quite get through this book before my review window ran out, but I intend on finishing it. It has thus far hit many points that help me in continuing to wake me up regarding racial injustice, that we as white people have brushed aside for too long. I appreciate what she learned form her learning circles (basically multicultural focus groups of a sort discussing race). I appreciate actionable items and the encouragement to get us out of our comfort zone, as that is not helping anyone. This should be a must read for any white woman.

Raising Our Hands by Jenna Arnold is a non-fiction book written to help the white, female reader to educate themselves on a variety of social issues and end the collective silence and inaction from white women. The author touches on several conversations including racism, police brutality, privilege, societal expectations, and more. I enjoyed the author included citations for when they referenced other work and frequently found myself looking through to learn more. I also enjoyed the author's voice which was open and not judgemental, which I think some white readers may believe when first picking up this book. I do think stylistically the writing seemed more similar to an article or blog and I would have preferred a bit more polish as a book. I think this book had the potential to be very powerful, but I think the focus on breadth, rather than depth made this fall a bit flat for me personally. Regardless, if you prefer less academic books and are new to learning, this may be a great start for some white women!

Many thanks to the publisher BenBella Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Was not what I was expecting. Was hoping for more but it felt that this book was published just to jump on the bandwagon of people trying to appear very non-racist.. Maybe it just wasn’t the right time for me to try this one.

I couldn't put this down and was surprised by how much I could relate to in the pages of this book even though my life experience is relatively different than the Author's. This is a really important read for anyone looking to understand their the complexities of the country, even if they're not a white women - and if they are - this should be mandatory.

I found the add'l anecdotes about this book very helpful - easy to skip over if I wasn't interested, but very useful in the cases that I was. This author spend a lot of time diving into the nuances of so much that we don't often discuss in the US and it's about time we start having the conversation. I am ordering for our store and encouraging others to do the same.

Given the complexity of the ever evolving conversations around white women's role in the country, this clarified so much about what has historically kept them on the sidelines for centuries - and, most importantly, how they can change their behavior now to engage differently. I do think this book's time has come and it couldn't have arrived quick enough.

Though a touch long, I will be adding this to the syllabus this year.

wow, this book is exactly what I was looking for at this exact moment in time. Arnold carefully thread the needle with so many complex subjects and scratched the surface with each just enough that I have the context I now need to keep going. If you're wondering where to start-start here.

I’m a white woman who has invested a good chunk of the last 4 years of my professional/personal life into equity work. The format of the book, the vague quotes/info, the sit down chats with women of roughly the same age, etc. we’re not what I was hoping for when I read the description. Maybe it is just better suited for folks who are at an earlier place in the journey than me.

From one white woman to another/others: Every white woman needs to read this book, even if it is only to increase your self-awareness.

I cannot speak for everyone, but I know that I want to be a better ally to those who need it. To do this, I am committed to ongoing education and personal growth on the topics of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc…which leads to reading as many books as I can on these topics. I have had a lot of really uncomfortable conversations with myself in doing this, while examining biases and googling things I am/was admittedly ignorant about. This book is hands down one of the most powerful resources I have come across to date.

I need to say it again: This book is powerful. The author breaks down a range of topics in simple and very thoughtful terms. She carefully points out that we do not have time to wait – we need to stand up now, confront our privilege and biases to transform ourselves into the allies we need to be. This is a battle of the species and we should all be on the same team: the one committed to dismantling oppressive systems.

While the organization of the book does seem scatterbrained at times, I do like that it is written as more of a personal conversation than an academic lecture. As someone who works on a rural campus where these issues come up regularly, I have witnessed how difficult it is for people to examine themselves; impossible if you are lecturing at them. If you need proof, read any comment section on social media right now. Maybe this approach won't cause them to slam the book closed and throw it before even reaching Chapter 2.

I guess it is worth noting that this is the perspective I am looking at it from: using it on a college campus. So in that regard, whether you are just starting your self-work in these areas or you have been speaking up/out for years, this book can provide useful background/insight and tips for pushing forward.

I think this book is very important and talking about white women's responsibility to actively promote anti-racism is essential to equality. However, I think the book's poor organization and formatting really distracts from this, as the point fails to be driven home. This read more like a long Times op-ed rather than a social science book.

I think that there is some essential information here. However, the presentation and writing are poor (to the point of detracting from good content). More helpful would be to actively participate in the author’s Learning Circles.