Race Rules

Reviews

" ...Gilliam's tone is refreshingly frank throughout, and her advice is generous and detailed, whether she's unpacking the latent racism in everyday interactions (for example, the use of coded language and phrases, including discussion of Black-on-Black crime' and good' versus bad' neighborhoods) or racial inequities woven through social systems (including voter restrictions and school zoning). Those looking to move beyond performative allyship will find this an excellent resource."
—Publishers Weekly

Bold and thought-provoking. Fatimah Gilliam doesn't shy away from hard truths we must hear, say, and do to hold ourselves accountable and disrupt racism.
—Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation

Fatimah Gilliam uncovers racism where it is most effortlessly reproduced in the quotidian interactions that confirm and maintain our sense of what is normal in society. She recognizes that the deep structural persistence of racism can be challenged in significant ways if all of us (but especially those with superior privilege) develop repertoires for everyday disruptive practices.
—Angela Y. Davis, Distinguished Professor Emerita, UC Santa Cruz; 2020 Time 100 Icon; and 1971 Time Woman of the Year

Pay attention to every word of this book. Building a truly just society depends on truth telling about how even allies benefit from systemic racism and unwittingly contribute to racial trauma. This is hard work, but, as Fatimah Gilliam suggests, this is necessary medicine. Race Rules invites us to dream of a different future, and gives us the tools we need for individual and social healing.
—Rabbi Sharon Brous, Founding Rabbi of IKAR

This action-oriented book is a groundbreaking tool for disrupting racism and moving our country toward progress one person at a time.
—Congressman Jamaal Bowman, US House of Representatives

This self-improvement book on unlearning racism is courageous. Fatimah Gilliam rolls up her sleeves, steps onto an empty platform that many dare not approach, taps the microphone, and speaks with the power of truth.
—Harry Lennix, actor

Fatimah Gilliam says the quiet part out loud. She tells readers what they need to hear and are too afraid to ask. Race Rules is deeply pragmatic, serving as an instruction manual on creating anti-racist workplaces and communities.
—Naheed K. Nenshi, former Mayor, Calgary, Canada

This eye-opening book provides rare access to the inner thoughts many people of color privately think but don't share, lifting the veil to help readers learn. It includes history, straight-talk advice, and a healthy dose of action steps. Fatimah Gilliam goes beyond the Black experience. Race Rules discusses how structural racism and implicit bias broadly harm all people of color, including Native peoples. A critical book!
—Professor Patty Ferguson-Bohnee, voting rights and federal Indian law scholar, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University

I don't see color.' I'm not a racist but' This book explains why microaggressions communicate white supremacist messages even when people think they're communicating the opposite. Fatimah Gilliam is the Black friend who tells white America how and why particular phrases wound and damage. She is the Black friend who corrects invalid beliefs about race and racism. This is an important book that unpacks the harms of language and the beliefs behind the language used.
—Professor William Darity, Jr., Director of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity, Duke University

Remarkably witty, audacious, and vital. An absolute page turner. A kick-in-the-pants reference book for whites about systemic racism. Superb for everyday, corporate, and HR readers and classroom instruction.
—Professor Taura Taylor, race scholar and sociologist, Morehouse College

Race Rules is a refreshing and groundbreaking road map to tackling racism. This book provides practical, real-time advice on what to actually do. It's a transformative how-to guide to course-correct for daily microaggressions, behaviors, and choices that can offend and harm people of color.
—Jennifer Brown, inclusive leadership expert and bestselling author of How to Be an Inclusive Leader Expand reviews