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

Description

'But to white readers in particular, I say: Pull up a chair, grab a pen, lay down your defenses, and listen very respectfully to Rachel Ricketts. She has offered up an exceedingly valuable resource to a tired, troubled (and all too often delusional) world. This is a book we all need.' Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author of Eat Pray Love '[Rachel's] heartfelt and engaging book is a both a call to action and a toolkit for anybody who wants to play their part in eradicating white supremacy - a mission she reminds us is not about getting it all 'right' but doing better every day.' Ruby Warrington, author, of Sober Curious Thought leader, racial justice educator, and sought-after spiritual activist Rachel Ricketts offers mindful and practical steps for all humans to dismantle white supremacy on a personal and collective level. Heart-centered and spirit-based practices are the missing but vital piece to achieving racial justice. Do Better is a revolutionary offering that addresses anti-racism from a comprehensive, intersectional, and spiritually-aligned perspective. This actionable guidebook illustrates how to engage in the heart-centered and mindfulness-based practices that racial justice educator and healer Rachel Ricketts has developed to fight white supremacy from the inside out, in our personal lives and communities alike. It is a loving and assertive call to do the deep - and often uncomfortable - inner work that precipitates much-needed external and global change. Radical racial justice includes daily, intentional and informed action. It demands addressing the emotional violence we have perpetuated on ourselves and others (most notably toward Black women and femmes), both as individuals and as a society. Do Better provides the missing pieces to manifest practicable, sustainable solutions such as identifying where we most get stuck, mitigating the harm we inflict on others and mending our hearts from our most painful race and gender-based experiences, plus much more. This inspirational and eye-opening handbook is filled with carefully curated soulcare activities for getting into our bodies and better withstanding the grief, rage and conflicting emotions that naturally arise when we fight against injustice. Culturally informed, secular spiritual exercises, such as guided meditations, transformative breathwork and journaling prompt unpack our privilege, and take up the ongoing fight against oppression, while transforming our own lives along the way.

Rachel Ricketts is a queer, multi-racial Black woman. As a global thought leader, racial justice educator, healer, speaker, and writer, she hosts intersectional racial justice workshops worldwide, including her renowned Spiritual Activism series. Rachel cultivates change by fusing her experiences as an attorney, trained anti-racism educator, and grief coach with her spiritual certifications in breathwork, yoga, mindfulness, and Reiki. She has helped numerous global brands with anti-racism efforts, including Google, WeWork, and Lululemon. Rachel was named one of well+good's 2020 Changemakers and has been featured in international media such as The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Goop, and The Atlantic. She loves donuts, dancing, disruption and all things metaphysical (ideally all at once). Learn more about Rachel at RachelRicketts.com and @IAmRachelRicketts.

'Do Better is a clear, powerful, direct, wise, and extremely helpful treatise on how to combat and heal from the ubiquitous violence of white supremacy. Using a voice that is both passionate and compassionate, Rachel Ricketts instructs where necessary and soothes when needed-but never flinches from the urgency of the mission at hand. These pages are meant not merely to be read, but to be studied, workshopped, and put into daily practice. I would recommend Do Better to anybody who wishes to live a life of higher consciousness and humanity. But to white readers in particular, I say: Pull up a chair, grab a pen, lay down your defenses, and listen very respectfully to Rachel Ricketts. She has offered up an exceedingly valuable resource to a tired, troubled (and all too often delusional) world. This is a book we all need.' -- Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author of Eat Pray Love 'Rachel's book is a powerful and beautiful example of sharing herself from a deeply heart-centered place, and sharing her knowledge with eloquence, heart, and spirituality. Right now more than ever is a time for everyone to really dive in and do the work, and as a white woman I feel it's more important than ever to educate ourselves and truly create change in the deepest parts of our lives that we may have been unconscious of. If you, like me, are ready to stop talking and start listening and really take the time to understand, this is the book you MUST read. Thank you Rachel for taking the time to write this incredible book. It was life changing to read.' -- Rumer Willis, actress and singer 'Do Better should be required reading for all white women . . . It was emotional and challenging but in all the ways this work should be.' -- Mandy Moore, award-winning actress, singer and songwriter 'This is the book we've been waiting for. Wow! Rachel provides us with a real, raw and relevant examination into the deep, spiritual and transformative work that we all need right now to heal from the dehumanising structure of white supremacy. We know that white supremacy harms all of us and that the wounds go deep. Thus, we know that the work to heal from this must reach us far beyond the surface level. And that's what Rachel is offering us here in this book - the deep, beyond the surface excavating, exploration and examination of the multiple places in which white supremacy harms us while offering us tools to fight against that harm and to heal. This is the book that will change lives, if you allow it. A must read and do!' -- Monique Melton, anti-racism educator 'Do Better is a clear, powerful, direct, wise, and extremely helpful treatise on how to combat and heal from the ubiquitous violence of white supremacy. Using a voice that is both passionate and compassionate, Rachel Ricketts instructs where necessary and soothes when needed-but never flinches from the urgency of the mission at hand. These pages are meant not merely to be read, but to be studied, workshopped, and put into daily practice. I would recommend Do Better to anybody who wishes to live a life of higher consciousness and humanity. But to white readers in particular, I say: Pull up a chair, grab a pen, lay down your defenses, and listen very respectfully to Rachel Ricketts. She has offered up an exceedingly valuable resource to a tired, troubled (and all too often delusional) world. This is a book we all need.' -- Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author of Eat Pray Love 'Rachel's book is a powerful and beautiful example of sharing herself from a deeply heart-centered place, and sharing her knowledge with eloquence, heart, and spirituality. Right now more than ever is a time for everyone to really dive in and do the work, and as a white woman I feel it's more important than ever to educate ourselves and truly create change in the deepest parts of our lives that we may have been unconscious of. If you, like me, are ready to stop talking and start listening and really take the time to understand, this is the book you MUST read. Thank you Rachel for taking the time to write this incredible book. It was life changing to read.' -- Rumer Willis, actress and singer 'Do Better should be required reading for all white women . . . It was emotional and challenging but in all the ways this work should be.' -- Mandy Moore, award-winning actress, singer and songwriter 'This is the book we've been waiting for. Wow! Rachel provides us with a real, raw and relevant examination into the deep, spiritual and transformative work that we all need right now to heal from the dehumanising structure of white supremacy. We know that white supremacy harms all of us and that the wounds go deep. Thus, we know that the work to heal from this must reach us far beyond the surface level. And that's what Rachel is offering us here in this book - the deep, beyond the surface excavating, exploration and examination of the multiple places in which white supremacy harms us while offering us tools to fight against that harm and to heal. This is the book that will change lives, if you allow it. A must read and do!' -- Monique Melton, anti-racism educator 'I love how Rachel writes! Her heartfelt and engaging book is a both a call to action and a toolkit for anybody who wants to play their part in eradicating white supremacy - a mission she reminds us is not about getting it all 'right' but doing better every day.' -- Ruby Warrington, author, Sober Curious and The Sober Curious Reset 'Rachel's book Do Better is the new bible for all human beings. I hope everyone buys a copy and carries it around in their handbag or backpacks and shares the wisdom she so potently articulates. If you have been unclear, unsure, insecure or downright scared in starting, continuing or deepening your journey towards becoming anti-racist, don't be. Do Better silences all the excuses and is a call to action for everyone to get involved in dismantling the system of white supremacy.' -- Sima Kumar, Co-founder and CEO, The Other Box