Content warning racism in a school forum
‘When do you think we’ll get to an end point?’
I’m at a sixth‐form college in south London, talking to a large group of teenagers about racism in Britain. The question is put to me by a seventeen‐year‐old girl. She’s echoed on this point by her teacher. They’re both white.
‘There is no end point in sight,’ I reply. ‘You can’t skip to the resolution without having the difficult, messy conversation first. We’re still in the hard bit.’
After my talk, a group of black teenagers crowd around me outside, talking excitedly. ‘I think the people who want to skip to an end point are the ones not really affected by the issues,’ says one girl. I’m impressed by her insight.
— Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge (Page 213)
That could well be quote of the book, unnamed black teenager.