Help bring this paradigm-shifting book to life — one that offers those of us who are white a renewed vision of anti-racism based in true solidarity and the reclamation of who we really are.
Project Overview
Roots Deeper than Whiteness is a book I am writing that guides those of us who are white to form a rooted, anti-racist identity — one based on a deeper understanding of our ancestry — that can give us the inner strength and political clarity we need to become genuine partners in the transformation of this society. "Whiteness" is a false identity that was given to our ancestors by a ruling class intent on turning them from resistors of empire into its foot soldiers. This text takes readers on a journey through hidden history to understand how this process took place and to reclaim the very things that whiteness was designed to separate us from:
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Knowledge of our own ancestral cultural and political traditions.
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A legacy of multiracial class struggle for the well-being of all.
Readers are called to use the strength and wisdom gained from this voyage into the past to devote themselves to multiracial movement-building in our current moment of profound crisis and possibility. They are called to embody and spread to the masses a renewed and inspiring vision of white anti-racism based in deep solidarity and the reclamation of who we really are.
Roots Deeper than Whiteness builds on a widely shared essay I wrote some years ago with the same name that has been taught in national political education programs, university curriculums, religious communities, and numerous other trainings across the country. Movement elder, Fania Davis, who encouraged my exploration of these themes a decade ago, will contribute the foreword.
Why This Book, Now?
We are in a pivotal moment. Across the political spectrum, people are recognizing the limits of mainstream models of white anti-racism — models that too often leave white folks stuck in rootlessness, shame, and a counterproductive form of “allyship” based in deference, fear, and ignorance of their own stake in social change. Meanwhile, MAGA elites have recaptured the White House by exploiting these weaknesses — telling their white base that the pursuit of racial justice threatens their economic security and their sense of belonging in the world.
Our social movements are yearning for a new way forward that can give white people a life-giving political purpose, a transformative message to bring to their communities, genuine commitment to the reparation of racial and colonial harm, and courage to join in united struggle against a billionaire class intent on domination through division (at all of our expense). Roots Deeper than Whiteness is written to meet this need on a broad scale. It guides those of us who are white to find deep belonging in a centuries-old struggle for collective liberation that we have been strategically separated from and gives us the capacity to build powerful coalitions in this age of backlash.
The Fundraiser
I am an independent political educator without broader academic, foundation or organizational backing. My ability to support myself comes from leading large-scale trainings on my own platform and as a contractor for various groups. This work has kept me closer to the people and movements this book is for but it has also interrupted my ability to devote consistent time to completing the writing. While I've already completed 25% of the manuscript and a full book proposal, I've found that finishing this book on a reasonable timeline will require full time or near-full time commitment.
This is why I’m raising $75,000 to cover my living and writing expenses over 15 months (starting this November) as I finish this book — the equivalent of many author fellowship programs.
This fundraiser has a number of contribution tiers, each with gifts and offerings for donors, including attendance at a virtual book event taking place on both Thursday, 10/30 and Sunday, 11/2.
The event will include time for collective reflection on the themes of Roots Deeper than Whiteness and a reading of excerpts from chapters that are already completed (more event information can be found below).
Here are the various contribution tiers of this fundraiser as well as the thank you gifts that donors will receive with each. All of these offerings are optional and can be accessed as desired. Please note that contributions to this crowdfunding campaign are not tax deductible.
Information to access the online book event and about other donor offerings will be sent to you immediately after donating. Donors should also note that the book's publication will likely take place in 2027 or early 2028 as it typically takes 9-12 months to hit the shelves after manuscript completion.
Larger Donations
While the majority of this fundraiser will come from those donating in the range listed above, this $75,000 fundraising goal may be difficult to achieve without a number of contributions in the $1000-$10,000 range from those with greater access to wealth. I am currently finalizing a nonprofit partnership to make these larger contributions tax deductible.
If you might like to join our small but growing group of larger donors please fill out this form and I will reach out to you shortly. Your partnership is deeply appreciated.
Courses for Donors
Learn more about the recorded courses, designed and taught by David, that donors at the $150+ level can get access to (for themselves and a friend).
You're Invited: An Virtual Book Event for Donors
The event will be held twice — attend whichever works best for your schedule:
Thursday, October 30th | 7:30-9:30pm ET (4:30-6:30 PT)
Sunday, November 2nd | 4-6pm ET (1-3 PT)
You are invited to a special online event where I’ll share more about the book’s vision and my writing journey, create some space for sharing and connection, and read aloud from some of the chapters already written.
What to Expect:
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A grounding practice and shared reflection on the core themes of Roots Deeper than Whiteness
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A behind-the-scenes look at the book’s purpose, its importance in these times, the journey of writing it, and this fundraising effort
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Live readings from selected, already-completed chapters
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Small-group breakout sessions for deeper connection and conversation
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A Q&A where you can ask questions and engage more fully with the project
Can’t attend live? All donors will also receive a recording of the event.
Click here to make your contribution (once you do, you'll be sent zoom login info for the event)
More About the Book
Current State of the Project
As of now, I have completed a full book proposal and a quarter of the manuscript. While I have received interest from one publishing company already, other authors and friends in the publishing world have strongly advised me to seek representation from a literary agent. So, as I begin this period of work, I also plan to do this. If agent representation happens to not pan out, I’ll then submit my proposal directly to strong independent publishers where I have connections.
Book Outline
The text includes three sections representative of the three components of this renewed personal and political identity (what I call our “roots deeper whiteness”) that the book cultivates in its reader. Readers are guided to integrate each on a deeply personal level and my own story of learning and growth is offered as a guide. They are:
Part I: What Happened to Us imparts clear understanding of how capitalism and empire displaced numerous European settler and immigrant groups from their lands and lifeways and socialized them to become “white.” Here readers are invited to connect with aspects of the cultural and political traditions this took from their ancestors and to process the vast harms it led many to carry out.
Part II: The Other America is a powerful rediscovery of the hidden yet unbroken legacy of multiracial resistance to racial capitalism throughout US history. Here we encounter courageous ancestors who built cross-racial, working class-based coalitions and who left behind a spiritual and political inheritance we can draw from.
Part III: Toward Solidarity calls readers to use the strength and wisdom gained from this voyage into the past to devote themselves to multiracial movement-building today. It calls upon those of us who are white to embody and spread to the masses a new and inspiring vision of white anti-racism based in deep solidarity and the reclamation of who we really are.
Watch David Discuss Themes from the Book
A few clips from the forthcoming documentary Untangling Whiteness: A Path to Wholeness created by Kusum Crimmel. Get updates on the film.
The conclusion of David's September 2024 talk, "The Other America: Claiming and carrying forward a legacy of multiracial resistance," a keynote at the YWCA Racial Justice Summit in Madison, WI.
About the Author & Foreword Contributor
David Dean is a political educator, speaker and writer supporting the growth of powerful coalitions in our social movements—solidarity that undoes the centuries-long project of reactionary elites to divide and rule. He gives particular focus to helping white people engage in multiracial movements with political clarity and deep purpose.
Over the past decade, David has taught racial and economic justice education courses for more than 10,000 people and trained activists throughout the US. He is the former Associate Director of the national anti-racist training center, White Awake (now called Comrades Education), and author of the substack publication, Toward Solidarity.
Fania E. Davis is a leading national voice on the intersection of racial and restorative justice. She is author of The Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice: Black Lives, Healing, and US Social Transformation. Fania is a longtime activist who spent decades as a civil rights trial attorney and then immersed herself in the field of restorative justice. She is Founding Director of Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY) and a scholar with a PhD in Indigenous Knowledge. Her numerous honors include the Tikkun Olam (Repair the World) Award, the Ella Jo Baker Human Rights Award, the Open Society Justice Rising Award, and recognition by the LA Times as a “New Civil Rights Leader of the 21st Century.”
I worked as an intern to Fania at RJOY over a decade ago. She is now a friend and mentor who is excited to write this foreword. Read this interview to learn more about her life and work: “The Radical Work of Healing: Fania and Angela Davis on a New Kind of Civil Rights Activism.”
Homework:
Be Part of This
Help bring this book and its vision to life.
Donate. Attend. Share.
👉 Donate now and receive information about attending the book event
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With deep gratitude,
David