audio cd, 1 pages
Published Jan. 16, 2018 by Blackstone Audio, Inc..
"A current, constructive, and actionable exploration of today's racial landscape, offering straightforward clarity that readers of all races need to contribute to the dismantling of the racial divide. In So You Want to Talk About Race, Editor at Large of The Establishment, Ijeoma Oluo offers a contemporary, accessible take on the racial landscape in America, addressing head-on such issues as privilege, police brutality, intersectionality, micro-aggressions, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the "N" word. Perfectly positioned to bridge the gap between people of color and white Americans struggling with race complexities, Oluo answers the questions readers don't dare ask, and explains the concepts that continue to elude everyday Americans. Oluo is an exceptional writer with a rare ability to be straightforward, funny, and effective in her coverage of sensitive, hyper-charged issues in America. Her messages are passionate but finely tuned, and crystalize ideas that would otherwise be vague by empowering …
"A current, constructive, and actionable exploration of today's racial landscape, offering straightforward clarity that readers of all races need to contribute to the dismantling of the racial divide. In So You Want to Talk About Race, Editor at Large of The Establishment, Ijeoma Oluo offers a contemporary, accessible take on the racial landscape in America, addressing head-on such issues as privilege, police brutality, intersectionality, micro-aggressions, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the "N" word. Perfectly positioned to bridge the gap between people of color and white Americans struggling with race complexities, Oluo answers the questions readers don't dare ask, and explains the concepts that continue to elude everyday Americans. Oluo is an exceptional writer with a rare ability to be straightforward, funny, and effective in her coverage of sensitive, hyper-charged issues in America. Her messages are passionate but finely tuned, and crystalize ideas that would otherwise be vague by empowering them with aha-moment clarity. Her writing brings to mind voices like Ta-Nehisi Coates and Roxane Gay, and Jessica Valenti in Full Frontal Feminism, and a young Gloria Naylor, particularly in Naylor's seminal essay "The Meaning of a Word.""--
There is so much clarity in this book. I'm a white person who has been doing anti-racist work for decades, and I still get muddled when trying to talk to people about things like cultural appropriation and microaggressions. Ijeoma is gifted as combining personal stories with impactful, concise summaries of emotionally charged topics. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to take steps toward equality.
This should be necessary reading for anyone who's looking to be more actively anti-racist. The book lays out some harsh truths for white people, like that we do indeed live in a society based on white supremacist ideas, and so we are all racist in some ways, but even that doesn't have to be discouraging—instead, it can galvanize us to act and create change. Once we recognize our biases, we can confront them.
There are quite a few opportunities for self-reflection given in this book, examples of things to say and actions to take to combat racism, and examples of what not to do or say. So You Want to Talk About Race is one I'll need to come back to again, because there's just so much to learn and so much to unpack.
