This week we’ve delved into academic, broadcaster and author, Emma Dabiri’s new book ‘What white people can do next – from allyship to coalition’
Mixing academic study and her own personal experiences and reflections, Dabiri expertly outlines how the idea of race was constructed to bolster capitalism and explains how, in a divided world, unity and coalition are needed to create a future that works for everyone.
She explores how “whiteness” is a colonial construct invented by the English in the colonial Caribbean and the English Americas, posing the question “who were white people before they were racialised as white?”
“This is not a book just for white people” - Emma Dabiri
Dabiri advocates that we draw on non-western, pre-colonial cultures in order to change the system. Throughout the book, Dabiri lays out a manifesto for change born from the need to talk about racial injustice in a different way. She places the conversation firmly in the context of history, class and capitalism and highlights the way racialised thinking and “whiteness” as a system is destructive for everyone.
An extract from Dabiri’s original online resource summarises: “Recognise this is killing you too: Systems of inequality and exploitation ultimately destroy everyone. It’s not just about calling yourself an ‘ally’. This is everyone’s battle.”