2Leaf Press Publishes Book That Features 82 White People Speaking Frankly and Honestly About Race

  NEW YORK, NY - 05/16/2016 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

2Leaf Press has published its highly anticipated book, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE WHITE IN AMERICA? BREAKING THE WHITE CODE OF SILENCE, A COLLECTION OF PERSONAL NARRATIVES. Edited by 2Leaf Press editors, Gabrielle David and Sean Frederick Forbes, this 680-page groundbreaking collection of 82 personal narratives reflect a vibrant range of stories from white Americans who speak frankly and openly about race. Available on Amazon.com and other online outlets; bookstore and library distribution is available on Ingram, YPB Library Services, and 2LP Distribution Direct (www.2leafpress.org).  Visit our WHITE IN AMERICA website (www.whiteinamerica.org) to learn more about the contributors.

While the literature on “whiteness” has long been dominated by an academic point of view, editors David and Forbes came to the realization that there was an unmet need for an anthology of personal narratives about white race and culture from the perspective of white Americans. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE WHITE IN AMERICA? was conceived as racial tensions in the U.S. has escalated in a way not seen in decades. “In reality, racism has never gone away,” says editor David and publisher of 2Leaf Press. “It’s been bubbling just beneath the surface for years. In fact, when the Civil Rights Act was signed in 1964, certain forces in this country set upon deconstructing it for capitalistic purposes using race as a wedge, and what we are witnessing today is a direct result of that.”

The stories in WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE WHITE IN AMERICA? cover a wide gamut of American history from contributors around the United States; from reminiscing about segregation and Jim Crow, to today’s headlines of police brutality, politics and #BlackLivesMatter. The variety in style and subject is represented by people of different backgrounds who have created an absorbing and thought-provoking collection that explores race. Some offer viewpoints one may not necessarily agree with, yet it is clear that each contributor is committed to answering the question as honestly as possible.

“In these personal narratives, one will see that there are many dialogues enacted on the page,” explains editor Forbes. “Many of the contributors freely admitted to having problems answering the title question. Writing any type of personal narrative is challenging, uncomfortable, and often times painful, and the contributors in WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE WHITE IN AMERICA? took on a brave and monumental task by speaking candidly about race.”

With an Introduction by racial justice educator, Debby Irving, and an afterword by African American scholar and poet, Tara Betts, the purpose of WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE WHITE IN AMERICA? is to, as Irving points out in her introduction, “break the code of silence” so that we can engage in frank conversations about race. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE WHITE IN AMERICA? provides an invaluable starting point that includes numerous references and further readings for those who seek a deeper understanding of race in America.