kakovac's review against another edition
5.0
Every person should read this. Educational but never long winded.
larissalee's review against another edition
5.0
Ijeoma wrote a book I think all non-POC should read. She approaches explanations of race, discrimination, privilege, and activism in a way that's just the right level of stern-but-fair. It's good to examine what you know, who you are, and what you can do with the privileges you have.
meg_ventures's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
leavingsealevel's review against another edition
4.0
Very good overview of race and racism in the US. No matter how many "101" books on racism and antiracism you've read, I'd add this one to your list.
dllh's review against another edition
4.0
This is a really great book -- informative, stirring, at times humorous, understanding of how talking about race can be uncomfortable for everybody, and firm in its insistence on owning what you bring to the table and doing the right thing. Oluo outlines many issues pertaining to race with crystal clarity and offers suggestions for accountability and lots of ideas for good pragmatic steps people can take to be lesser offenders or better allies.
compassrosa's review against another edition
5.0
Practical and immediately applicable. It gives me the language and framework to start having a conversation.
mthornburg13's review against another edition
5.0
I'll admit that I bought this book in June 2020 when everyone else was buying it. I was not consistent in reading it and sometimes went months without finishing a chapter. But, each chapter is meticulously separated into hot button topics that you could pick it up at any point, or go back and read a chapter again. I am a caucasian female and I grew up in a liberal bubble. This book challenged me to ACTIVELY be better.
Ms. Oluo includes statistics, bullet point ideas, her own anecdotes to tie together the experience not often allowed in writing. Buy this book, study this book, learn from this book and then come back and read it again to learn some more. Also follow her on Instagram!
Ms. Oluo includes statistics, bullet point ideas, her own anecdotes to tie together the experience not often allowed in writing. Buy this book, study this book, learn from this book and then come back and read it again to learn some more. Also follow her on Instagram!
literatehedgehog's review against another edition
3.0
A conversational, informative text on racism.
I had this on my to-read list already when my district chose this as a summer professional development read for all staff. So I was looking forward to reading it, but a little concerned about how productive any discussions about it would be. So far, I have had a handful of tense but not abysmal conversations, and school hasn't officially started yet. I have hope it will spur conversation and action throughout the district all year, but I do know there will be a lot of resistance. People will say (and are saying) that they are offended by her tone, that they don't agree with her definition of racism, that they find it less accessible than they would have expected. (We are a nearly all white staff. We should feel uncomfortable.) I could just imagine the times that Oluo wrote "you picked up this book because you want to better at these conversations...because you want to be a better person...", etc, another teacher thinking, "I picked this up because I was told to!" And god I hope they keep reading. And that maybe next time we have to read a book as a district, we read one about race that has educators specifically in mind. (Hello, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum, you are so excellent a choice here).
While I was familiar with nearly all of the topics Oluo addresses here, she added more statistics and personal details that gave nuance and personality to my understanding. I can see how some could find her "tone" off-putting in its bluntness, but it speaks to her strength of writing and passion that we can feel her voice so. I would recommend it to someone who has already started down their path to fighting racism and who has already encountered a fair amount of terms and perspectives to not be offended or confused here. (Tatum was my start, but I also found Franchesca Ramsey and Phoebe Robinson as enjoyable, poppier entry points as well).
I had this on my to-read list already when my district chose this as a summer professional development read for all staff. So I was looking forward to reading it, but a little concerned about how productive any discussions about it would be. So far, I have had a handful of tense but not abysmal conversations, and school hasn't officially started yet. I have hope it will spur conversation and action throughout the district all year, but I do know there will be a lot of resistance. People will say (and are saying) that they are offended by her tone, that they don't agree with her definition of racism, that they find it less accessible than they would have expected. (We are a nearly all white staff. We should feel uncomfortable.) I could just imagine the times that Oluo wrote "you picked up this book because you want to better at these conversations...because you want to be a better person...", etc, another teacher thinking, "I picked this up because I was told to!" And god I hope they keep reading. And that maybe next time we have to read a book as a district, we read one about race that has educators specifically in mind. (Hello, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum, you are so excellent a choice here).
While I was familiar with nearly all of the topics Oluo addresses here, she added more statistics and personal details that gave nuance and personality to my understanding. I can see how some could find her "tone" off-putting in its bluntness, but it speaks to her strength of writing and passion that we can feel her voice so. I would recommend it to someone who has already started down their path to fighting racism and who has already encountered a fair amount of terms and perspectives to not be offended or confused here. (Tatum was my start, but I also found Franchesca Ramsey and Phoebe Robinson as enjoyable, poppier entry points as well).