Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy

Antiracism workshop leader and “secular spiritualist” Ricketts offers a primer on combating white supremacy in her accessible, urgent debut. She opens with an explanation of how pervasive racism is, how trauma can be inherited, and how oppression is internalized by marginalized people. Defining spirituality as “an ethereal concept... in direct opposition to the analytical, tangible, facts-based knowledge adored by white supremacy,” Ricketts argues spiritualism and social activism go hand-in-hand and notes that “to approach racial justice in a heart-centered and embodied way” requires an honest mindset that allows for righteous rage. Ricketts, who is Black, shares many personal stories of her own encounters with racism, as well as a heartbreaking account of her mother being spat on for being mixed-race. She also warns against adopting spiritual practices that focus on profit or rely on cultural appropriation, and prepares readers with a host of immediate actions they can do to combat racism, among them being attuned to microaggressions and considering impact rather than intention of one own’s actions. Rickett’s conversational tone and accessible activities will prove welcoming to anyone new to racial justice work. Agent: Cherise Fisher & Wendy Sherman, Wendy Sherman Assoc. (Mar.)