“Dear Reader, How did you feel the first time you saw the title of this book? Were you surprised? Confused? Intrigued? Uncomfortable? Maybe all of the above? I want to begin by reassuring you that all those feelings and more are completely normal. This is a simple and straight-forward book, but it is not an easy one. Welcome to the work.”

Saad begins the book by addressing the reader and asking them to immediately identify their discomfort or surprise when considering their relationship to white supremacy. From the first sentence, Saad asks the reader to begin their self-interrogation and reflection to dismantle white supremacy. By saying “welcome to the work,” she makes it clear that this uneasiness is something with which the reader must be comfortable in order to fully engage with antiracist work and education.

“The system of white supremacy was not created by anyone who is alive today. But it is maintained and upheld by everyone who holds white privilege—whether or not you want it or agree with it.” 

Here, Saad makes clear that although people with white privilege today did not begin the oppression and enslavement of BIPOC, they perpetuate white supremacy by maintaining systems that allowed it to flourish in the first place. This is meant as a call to action for participants/readers who may be unsure why they ought to involve themselves in antiracism. Saad separates the idea of agreeing with her point of view from the truth about white supremacy in order to make clear that the 28-day challenge is less about her own opinions of white supremacy and more about objective truth of the power and responsibility held by everyone with white privilege.