Waking Up White

About the Author

Debby Irving is an emerging voice in the national racial justice community. Combining her organization development skills, classroom teaching experience, and understanding of systemic racism, Irving educates and consults with individuals and organizations seeking to create racial equity at both the personal and institutional level. Now a racial justice educator and writer, Irving works with other white people to transform confusion into curiosity and anxiety into action. She’s worked in private and public urban schools to foster community among students, teachers, staff, and families by focusing on honest dialog that educates and connects people through shared interests and divergent backgrounds.

In her book Waking Up White, Debby Irving chronicles her journey to a deeper understanding of race and racism in America. Her narrative is one of self-discovery and unflinching honesty, detailing the internal and external struggles she faced while confronting her own ingrained prejudices and racial privilege.

Main Idea

Waking Up White is a personal and enlightening journey through which Debby Irving explores and confronts her understanding of race and racism. The book is a testament to the importance of self-reflection and education in dismantling systemic racism. Irving's main idea revolves around the necessity for white people to recognize their inherent racial biases, understand the privileges they hold, and actively work towards creating a more equitable society.

Table of Contents

1. The Story I Didn't Know
2. Midlife Wake-Up Calls
3. Why Didn't I Wake Up Sooner?
4. Rethinking Key Concepts
5. Twenty-Five Years of Tossing and Turning
6. Inner Work
7. Outer Work
8. Reclaiming My Humanity

The Story I Didn't Know

In the opening chapters, Irving delves into her childhood experiences, showcasing how her early life was shaped by a one-sided narrative about race. She recounts her fascination with Native American history and the skewed explanations she received about their fate. This segment highlights the role of education and parental influence in shaping racial perceptions. Irving writes,

"For years I struggled silently to understand race and racism."

This quote sets the tone for her journey, emphasizing the silent struggle many white people face in understanding racial dynamics.

Irving's early fascination with Native American history is a poignant example of how children absorb racial biases. She recalls how her mother, not out of malice but ignorance, told her that Native Americans had succumbed to alcohol and violence, neglecting the devastating impact of white colonization. This early lesson built a sense of racial superiority in young Irving. She reflects,

"Like drops of water into a sponge, moments like these saturated me with the belief that I was of a superior race and wholly disconnected from other races—except as a potential victim."

Such childhood experiences laid the foundation for her later realizations and the need to unlearn ingrained prejudices.