Fire in the Heart: How White Activists Embrace Racial Justice

by Mark R. Warren

Fire in the Heart uncovers the dynamic processes through which some white Americans become activists for racial justice. The book reports powerful accounts of the development of racial awareness drawn from in-depth interviews with fifty white activists in the fields of community organizing, education, and criminal justice reform.

Drawing extensively on the rich interview material, Mark Warren shows how white Americans can develop a commitment to racial justice, not just because it is the right thing to do, but because they embrace the cause as their own. Contrary to much contemporary thinking on racial issues focused on altruism or interests, Warren finds that cognitive and rational processes alone do little to move whites to action. Rather, the motivation to take and sustain action for racial justice is profoundly moral and relational.

Warren shows how white activists come to find common cause with people of color when their core values are engaged, as they build relationships with people of color that lead to caring, and when they develop a vision of a racially just future that they understand to benefit everyone--themselves, other whites, and people of color. Warren also considers the complex dynamics and dilemmas white people face in working in multiracial organizations committed to systemic change in America's racial order, and provides a deeper understanding and appreciation of the role that white people can play in efforts to promote racial justice.

The first study of its kind, Fire in the Heart brings to light the perspectives of white people who are working day-to-day to build not a post-racial America but the foundations for a truly multiracial America rooted in a caring, human community with equity and justice at its core.

Genres: Sociology, Anti Racist, Nonfiction, Race, Social Justice, Activism, History

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2010

About the author

Mark R. Warren is a sociologist concerned with the revitalization of American democratic and community life. He studies efforts to strengthen institutions that anchor inner city communities—churches, schools, and other community-based organizations — and to build broad-based alliances among these institutions and across race and social class. Warren is interested in the development of community leaders through involvement in multiracial political action as well as the outcomes of such efforts in fostering community development, social justice, and school transformation; and is committed to using the results of scholarly research to advance democratic practice.

Warren is the author of several books, including Fire in the Heart: How White Activists Embrace Racial Justice and Dry Bones Rattling: Community Building to Revitalize American Democracy, a book on the Texas/Southwest Industrial Areas Foundation, the nation’s most prominent faith-based community organizing network. He is coeditor of a book on social capital-based strategies for combating poverty called Social Capital and Poor Communities. Warren also published a lead article in the Harvard Educational Review on the relationship between community development and school improvement, entitled “Communities and Schools: A New View of Urban Education Reform.” He currently codirects a large scale study of community organizing efforts at school reform and educational justice in six localities across the country.

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a well written scholarly study of 50 white activists. I found the quotes from the interviews to be interesting and illuminating especially in regard to the challenges and isolation many of these individuals face between their white friends and family and the black community. However, I found Warren's presentation a bit dry. There is irony in his choice of title. He basically took something about which these activists are quite passionate and totally extinguished the fire.

[Matt Sautman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fire in the Heart provides a wealth of testimony behind the motivations that influence white activists into anti-racist work, but the insights here feel overly familiar to readers who have been engaging with critical race theory without providing new ground to work with.

[Dayspring · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harvard professor Mark Warren conducted in-depth interviews with a number of white racial justice advocates, asking questions about their values, what motivates them toward action, and what experiences led them to this work.

I found the book insightful overall. Warren includes a lot of direct quotes from the interviewees, and he does a great job summarizing themes that emerged from all of the interviews. Warren intentionally chooses to focus more on action-oriented activists rather than people interested primarily in theory. Warren argues that focusing too much on discussing white privilege and white identity may hinder some white people from moving toward action and collaborative work with people of color. Of course both of those discussions are important, but if we truly want to live in a more just and diverse society, we must move from just talking about racism to actively working to overcome racism.

[T.R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was about white activists who've committed themselves to racial justice. The book is good, but not life changing... which is one of the paradoxes in here for educators. Warren interviews white activists across the country and only a few came to their activism from reading and formal education. They have a turning point in their life, which is latter deepened through coalition work with folks of color. The other irony is here. Though none of the white people expect or place responsibility on people of color to educate them about racism, it was only through friends of color, developed through activism, that white people's understanding of racism and commitment to end it is deepened. White people can't understand racism on their own and nor will they have the privilege of gaining insight without sharing in the struggle with people of color for a more just society.

[Drick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Warren set out to determine what were the factor that lead certain white people to become activists for racial justice. This is largely an exploratory study but Warren discovered some interesting patterns. While he makes reference to Helms' theory of white racial identity development, it would have been helpful had he related his findings to that framework. However, his goals were more to find out common thoughts and experiences and as such has contributed to a growing body of literature

[Jason Szanyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read, if only for the anecdotes of the individual advocates who were interviewed for the book!

[Cathy]

I was interviewed and appear in this book - I'm curious about it - not sure what I'll think about it. If you read it, please let me know what you think!

[Mills College Library]

305.80097 W291 2010

[Ann Hite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done study and helpful for white anti-racist activists.