White Tears/Brown Scars

When white people cry foul it is often people of colour who suffer. White tears have a potency that silences racial minorities. White Tears/Brown Scars blows open the inconvenient truth that when it comes to race, white entitlement is too often masked by victimhood. Never is this more obvious than the dealings between women of colour and white women.

What happens when racism and sexism collide? Ruby Hamad provides some confronting answers and provides a crucial update to her groundbreaking work, reflecting in a new introduction on how the behaviour of individuals is mirrored by institutions of power, which can be seen in current political events.

‘Hamad has written a devastating analysis of “the white damsel” and the way her tears and dual status are routinely weaponised against much of the globe. If (racial) ignorance is bliss, then this book is a shattering of some supremely comfortable white illusions about race and gender, in Australia and beyond.‘
Melissa Lucashenko

‘Hamad’s razor-sharp observational skills and wide-ranging approach make this an essential addition to the modern feminist canon.‘
Publisher’s Weekly

‘White Tears/Brown Scars is a stunning and thorough look at White womanhood that should be required reading … Hamad’s controlled urgency makes the book an illuminating and poignant read.‘
Rosa Boshier, The Washington Post

‘In breaking down examples from history, as well as from her own life as an Arab woman working in Australian media, Hamad offers a haunting but powerful reading of white feminism and its lasting impacts on marginalized communities.‘
Time Magazine

‘For readers truly interested in dismantling white supremacy, this is a must-read.‘
Kirkus Reviews

Author Biography

Ruby Hamad is a journalist, author and academic who was born in Lebanon and raised in Australia. Hamad was a regular columnist at Fairfax Media and her work has also appeared in The Guardian, The New York Times, Prospect magazine, Crikey, Meanjin, The New Arab and more. She has contributed chapters to Arab, Australian, Other (2019), Family: Stories of Belonging (2023), and the academic anthology Feminists Talk Whiteness (2024). Hamad holds a PhD in media studies from the University of New South Wales and currently teaches journalism and media production.