I was hesitant going into this, I won't lie. I wasn't sure what I would get from this book that I haven't also gotten from other books that are similar. I'm so glad that I stuck it out because this book had the big missing link for me that I don't get in most feminism books (including ones that are focused on intersectionality)-- queer feminism. Queerness is a huge part of my identity and life and I so often feel left out of conversations because so much of the discussions around feminism have to do with men, the patriarchy, etc, and so queer, especially sapphics are left out of this conversation or not even thought about.
I was wrong to wonder if I would get anything new from White Feminism by Koa Beck, this is an incredible book that fleshes out intersectional feminism so well. I can't recommend this book enough.

White Feminism by Koa Beck is a must-read for anyone interested in feminism or disenchanted by the movement's historical focus on middle-/upper middle-class white cis women.

As a white cis woman who's been a self-described feminist since a young age, I found this book incredibly important in pointing out the shortcomings of the mainstream feminist movement when it comes to the working class, WOC, LGBTQ+, etc, especially in corporate feminism.

I loved the historical information contained in the book, which showed how marginalized women were always involved in the feminist movement — and whose contributions were often overlooked or ignored.

White Feminism shows there's more to the movement than women becoming leaders in the corporate work sphere. Sure, it's great to see, but nothing will change if these leaders maintain the status quo of insufficient salaries and benefits (especially parental leave and childcare) that continues to keep the majority of women down.

I definitely recommend this book to everyone.

Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for sending me a copy of White Feminism by Koa Beck. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book to me is truly a book every person needs to read and absorb truly. I am a woman of colour and for the longest time have felt so scared to bring up my issues, my women of colour issues because for so long I've been surrounded by white feminists. (For those of you new to the club, I don't mean being white and being a feminist i mean the ideology of "feminism" rooted purely in white women's issues and not in minorities). I felt like my voice didn't matter and that my opinions weren't valid. Along with statistical backing and first-hand experience, Beck is able to weave us through an intricate yet simple look at our past, present and hopes for the future.

I have always been on the front lines rooting for intersectional feminism but it wasn't until this book that I truly realized how subconsciously even in everyday occurrences, there were instances I was really conforming to the needs and wants of white feminists or non-feminists and I had no idea. I silenced myself in conversations about racial injustice in feminism because it makes people "uncomfortable", I let others dictate what I wrote about, even the kinds of books I reviewed. I've always been socially aware and conscious but now I feel open to the realization that I do not have to keep making myself smaller or conforming just to fit someone else's idea of who I am supposed to be as a woman, a brown woman, a young woman, a plus-sized woman and as a person.

My e-copy of this book is filled with highlights, annotations and various notes where I just wrote "YES!!" because there was finally an explanation to what I was seeing, feeling and doing. This was not only informative but fascinating in teaching and learning just as the title suggests, about the suffragettes all the way to the 21st-century icons and who was left behind. A beautiful and deeply inspiring book by a truly inspiring authour.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Did you know that the phrase “The Future is Female” originated with lesbian separatists?

That a number of large, female-CEO lead companies lack basic maternity leave policies?

Or that a nation-wide boycott on meat, originally organized Jewish housewives, is why basic food necessities have their prices set in the United states?

Before reading this book, I definitely didn’t.

In her 2021 debut White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind, Koa Beck decenters white feminism by exploring its intricacies and how marginalized women are often left out. The term itself, white feminism, pretty much describes what it is: a form of feminism that benefits white women more than anyone else. It’s a system of thinking that is held up by books, magazines, media outlets, social structures, and, of course, white women.

White Feminism is forward and direct. This book is a wake-up call for white feminists who, before reading this book, might not even realize that their ideas are classified as white feminist ideology. It’s a reminder to look outside of your life experience to understand that many women who are not white, or American for that matter, are left behind by a movement that celebrates individual success while ignoring structural inequalities.

Beck’s book worked for me on many different levels. I think that it’s important for any reader to broaden their horizon and read books that might be out of their comfort zone. White Feminism is a book that for me, taught me a lot about the past and current state of the feminist movement and what I can do to be a feminist who is white, not a white feminist. While a bit of a long read, the book is far from boring and comes at an extremely relevant time.

Rating: 4.5/5: After an extremely eventful 2020 that forced a lot of privileged people, including myself, to acknowledge that governmental and social structures are extremely broken, White Feminism comes at a perfect time. The book makes an interesting read for anyone who wants to become more intersectional in their feminism.

My review will be posted to the accounts linked in my bio on December 16, 2020.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at Chapter 4.

A very informative insight to the different forms of feminism, but overall was too lengthy and wasn’t something was very invested in reading.

I did however love how much information was packed into each chapter. You can tell that the author truly understands the topic they’re covering with stories, quotes, and research.