Normally, my brain stumbles over data-dense non-fiction.
I burned through this book. Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race is informative and powerfully compelling, without feeling convoluted or boring.
Back in 2014, Reni Eddo-Lodge published a now-famous blog post by the same name. Her book is an extension of that essay, providing a detailed look at (and analysis of) systemic racism in the United Kingdom. The writing made me feel like I was talking to a really smart friend. Rather, like I was failing a course, and my really smart friend generously agreed to tutor me.
The book is framed in a British context, but there are clear, distinct parallels with North American culture. In fact, in plenty of cases, we are essentially looking at mirror images of injustice. I found myself shaking my head in frustration at many passages, and pausing at others to reflect on my own actions. However, not once did I feel blamed or lectured to -- even though I would have deserved it, judging from my own ignorance on the subject.
Reni Eddo-Lodge's writing helped equip me to examine disconnects between my words/beliefs and my actions. She says: "If you're white, your race will almost certainly positively impact your life's trajectory in some way. And you probably won't even notice it." (Underline added by me.) I sat with that thought for a while, allowing it to set in deep, and circling back to it helps keeps me in check.
She put in a lot of academic legwork, carefully laying things out for readers (like me) to ingest and absorb. I'm so glad to have finally read this book, and grateful to its author for the lessons she taught me.
If you're even remotely interested in the call to anti-racist work, so much of it has already been started for you -- books are a great first step! Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race is a gripping read whose strong momentum drives you through its pages. There are also tons of footnotes and annotations, in case you want to use the book as a springboard for further learning :)
What are you reading these days?
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