Dear White Women, It's Not You. It's Me. I'm Breaking Up With You!: Commentaries on Race, White Feminism, Allyship and Intersectionality

by Hannah L. Drake

“As is clear in history, voices come along, and they mingle in our midst till someone hears and recognizes it as prophetic and important.” -Michele Hemenway Pullen
“Even when she whispers, people listen. She has the uncanny ability to speak in a language that everyone, no matter their background, income, or race, can comprehend. She speaks the language of humanity” – Robin G.
Dear White Women, It’s Not You. It’s Me. I’m Breaking Up With You! offers commentary on Race, White Feminism, Allyship, and Intersectionality. “I realized that Black women were just your plaything, something to entertain you on Twitter and Facebook. We were your live and in color resistance rom-com Black best friend. We were your “hey, girl,” “yaassssssss,” and high fives. We were your sassy finger snap, neck roll, and “Auntie.” We were the face of your resistance memes as we “reclaimed our time.” Black women made the days pass faster until you could get your next Resistance fix. Until the next march, the next hashtag, the next knitted hat, Black women were your entertainment.Black women were your hidden lover. Someone you cherished online, cloaked in the anonymity of social media with no real commitment. God forbid your racist boyfriend or husband knew you were cheating on him with Black women telling the truth. We were your 2 am social justice booty call. After you got what you wanted from us, you would find your way back home to White patriarchy and supremacy, hoping that you didn’t smell of your online Black woman resistance lover. Black women were just the trendy thing, and just like Louboutins or bedazzled fanny packs, White women love to possess what is trendy.” Black Women are tired. The arc of justice is carved into the backs of Black Women. Today is the day for you to take a stand. When you hear the bells of injustice ringing, do not ask for whom the bell tolls? The bell is tolling for you!

Genres: Nonfiction, Race, Social Justice, Feminism

209 pages, Paperback

First published October 14, 2019

About the author

Hannah L Drake is a blogger, activist, public speaker, poet, and the author of 10 books. She writes commentary on politics, feminism, and race and her work has been featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine. In 2019 during Super Bowl Sunday, Hannah’s poem, "All You Had To Do Was Play The Game, Boy," which addresses the protest by Colin Kaepernick, was shared by film writer, producer and director Ava DuVernay, and then shared by Kaepernick. The poem has been viewed more than two million times. Hannah’s commentary on life and challenging others to dream bigger have been recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama. Hannah Drake was featured on the Tom Joyner Morning Show with Jacque Reid to discuss her international movement, Do Not Move Off the Sidewalk, which addresses the power of holding your space. In February 2019, Hannah was selected by the Muhammad Ali Center to be a Daughter of Greatness which features prominent women engaged in social philanthropy, activism, and pursuits of justice. Recently Hannah was selected as one of the Best of the Best in Louisville, Kentucky for her poem Spaces. Hannah’s message is thought-provoking and at times challenging, but Hannah believes that it is in the uncomfortable spaces that change can take place.
“My sole purpose in writing and speaking is not that I entertain you. I am trying to shake a nation.”

Reviews

[Beth Bissmeyer]

Hannah Drake is the unofficial poet laureate of the Louisville uprising over the police killing of Breonna Taylor. Beyond her poetry, she has written blogs and essays for several years that capture strong, straight-forward commentaries on race. This collection was published as a book in September 2019 and is still relevant as ever.

[Beth]

If you are white like me, expect to be uncomfortable when reading this book, which is a compilation of author Hannah Drake's blog posts.

[Lauren Kester]

3.5 stars.
Really insightful read. This is a collection of the author's blog posts. I found her real life examples helpful. Allyship isn't sharing or advocating on social media, but what are you doing to be an ally when the social media is off? Are we calling out racist jokes from family or friends? Are we educating ourselves on Black history and listening to Black voices? How do we have diversity in more areas of our life than just racial justice (i.e. music, books, podcasts, movies, artists, chefs, teachers, etc.)?