Combined Destinies

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Combined Destinies

Whites Sharing Grief about Racism

Edited by Ann Todd Jealous and Caroline T. Haskell
Foreword by Julian Bond and Pam Horowitz


Hardcover

February 2013

978-1-61234-574-1

$35.00 Add to Cart
Paperback

September 2014

978-1-61234-695-3

$17.95 Add to Cart
eBook (PDF)
Ebook purchases delivered via Leaf e-Reader

February 2013

978-1-61234-575-8

$17.95 Add to Cart

About the Book

By beginning a conversation that encourages self-examination and compassion, Combined Destinies invites readers to look at how white Americans have been hurt by the very ideology that their ancestors created. Editors Ann Todd Jealous and Caroline T. Haskell, both experienced psychotherapists skilled at facilitating dialogue about racial issues, are cognizant of the challenges that even the thought of such conversations often presents. Their book is based on the premise that for positive and lasting change to occur, hearts as well as minds must be opened.
 
This courageous anthology posits that unearned privilege has damaged the psyche of white people as well as their capacity to understand racism. Drawing on the intimate stories of diverse contributors, Combined Destinies is organized thematically, with individual chapters focusing on topics such as guilt, shame, silence, and resistance. The book includes an extensive reader’s guide, posing questions for discussion pertaining to each chapter and offering readers a chance to explore their own experiences.

Author Bio

ANN TODD JEALOUS is a former marriage and family therapist with a long history of supporting civil rights. CAROLINE T. HASKELL is a licensed clinical social worker and founding director of Health and Wellness Services at California State University–Monterey Bay and the campus affiliate director for the National Coalition Building Institute in Washington DC.

Praise

“A groundbreaking collection of stories by white Americans who recognize the pain and sorrow that racism has created in their lives. Everyone in society is hurt by racism, not just those who are its targets. What better way to teach this profound truth than to allow white people to share their epiphanies?”—Henry Louis Gates Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, Harvard University
 

“With the stories in Combined Destinies, Ann Jealous and Caroline Haskell take us another step forward toward understanding the legacy of racism’s impact on all children.”—Marian Wright Edelman, president of Children’s Defense Fund
 

“Our discourse is replete with false dichotomies: environmentalism vs. prosperity, rich vs. poor, and white vs. black. While some special interests thrive on conflict, Americans don’t—we suffer. The first step toward healing is to realize that we’re all in this together. Combined Destinies puts this in perspective like no other book. Read it and let one more false dichotomy dissolve into a deeper understanding of the way forward.”—Van Jones, former special advisor to the Obama White House and author of Rebuild the Dream
 

“What a perceptive, well-written, and timely narrative.”—Morris Dees, founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center
 

“This is a powerful collection that challenges us all to think about the role of race in our lives and our communities—and helps us do that. Each story takes you inside one person’s experience, and collectively they make you reflect on your own experience and beliefs. This book highlights just how important these continuing conversations around race are—for every person, of every race, of every background.”—Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America

"Combined Destinies: Whites Sharing Grief about Racism provides a helpful tool to engage white educators with racism at an affective level."—Christine E. Sleeter, Equity & Excellence in Education