LAYLA SAAD discusses her hit workbook Me and White Supremacy, which teaches people how to dismantle privilege within themselves so they can stop (even unconsciously) from inflicting damage on people of color and help other white people do better too.
In conjunction with our special exhibit My America: Immigrant and Refugee Writers Today, we present a series of conversations with leading contemporary writers about their latest work and their thoughts on themes of identity, home, belonging and the meaning of what it is to be American.
About Me and White Supremacy:
In the summer of 2018, thousands of people from around the world were galvanized by Layla Saad’s #meandwhitesupremacy challenge, examining and owning responsibility for the ways in which they uphold white supremacy. Over 80,000 people downloaded her guide to the movement, Me and White Supremacy Workbook in the space of just six months. And now, that guide is becoming a published book.
Me and White Supremacy: A 28-Day Challenge to Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor leads readers through a journey of understanding their white privilege and participation in white supremacy, so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on black, indigenous and people of color, and in turn, help other white people do better, too. The book goes beyond the original workbook by adding more historical and cultural contexts, sharing moving stories and anecdotes, and includes expanded definitions, examples, and further resources.
LAYLA SAAD is a globally respected writer, speaker and podcast host on the topics of race, identity, leadership, personal transformation and social change. As an East African, Arab, British, Black, Muslim woman who was born and grew up in the West, and lives in the Middle East, Layla has always sat at a unique intersection of identities from which she is able to draw rich and intriguing perspectives. Layla’s work is driven by her powerful desire to ‘become a good ancestor’ and to live and work in ways that leave a legacy of healing and liberation for those who will come after she is gone.
Layla is unapologetically confronting the oppressive systems of white supremacy and patriarchy, while offering important teachings and tools for transforming consciousness, cultivating personal anti-racism practice and taking responsibility for our individual and collective healing.
Me and White Supremacy is Layla’s first book. Initially offered for free following an Instagram challenge under the same name, the best-selling digital Me And White Supremacy Workbook was downloaded by close to ninety thousand people around the world in the space of six months, before becoming a traditionally published book. Layla’s work has been brought into homes, educational institutions and workplaces around the world that are seeking to create personal and collective change.
Layla earned her Bachelor of Law degree from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. She lives in Doha, Qatar with her husband, Sam, and two children, Maya and Mohamed. Find out more about Layla at www.laylafsaad.com.
