A review by deedireads
Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo

informative medium-paced

5.0

All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.

TL;DR REVIEW:

Mediocre is an incredible work of nonfiction, a revelation on the history of white male supremacy. It’s in the top five best antiracist books I’ve read so far.

For you if: You’re interested in learning more about how the white patriarchy holds its power, now and throughout history.

FULL REVIEW:

“White men lead our ineffective government with almost guaranteed reelection. They lead our corrupt and violent criminal justice system with little risk of facing justice themselves. And they run our increasingly polarized and misinforming media, winning awards for perpetrating the idea that things run best when white men are in charge. This is not a stroke of white male luck; this is how our white male supremacist systems have been designed to work.”

First and foremost, thank you so much to Seal Press for granting me an advanced review copy of this book on NetGalley.

Because books are the primary medium through which I like to learn about the world, I’ve sought out quite a few (especially this year) on antiracism. Mediocre is in the top five — maybe even the top three. It’s a must-read.

If you read Ijeoma Oluo’s first book, So You Want to Talk About Race, you know she can write a book that’s so much more than the sum of its parts — so much more than what you expect. Mediocre is no different. Just like SYWTTAR went way beyond a conversation guide, Mediocre goes way beyond highlighting white men’s mediocrity. It’s a deep dive into the intentional systems that white men have put into place, throughout history and today, to maintain their position on the social hierarchy despite their continued mediocrity.

This approach — clarifying history and unearthing the details that don’t get taught — has opened my eyes to how systems of power work more than any other approach. It’s been a catalyst in helping me begin to better understand the world and my place in it. This was true for Stamped From the Beginning and White Tears/Brown Scars, and it’s true for Mediocre.

Throughout, Ijeoma Oluo takes no shit. There’s an entire chapter on football and how white men have gone from physical dominance over Black men to controlling the physical dominance of Black men — which was an excellent chapter, by the way, that really made me think — called “Go Fucking Play.” Between research and truth bombs, she masterfully inserts moments of outrage and connection with her readers. And so while you read, you can just tell that this book was written by someone who cares so damn much about the topic, and the world, and justice, and even you.

This book hooked my attention, and it taught me a lot. I read it in one day. I couldn’t look away, couldn’t get enough of the information provided. Read it, read it, read it.


TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Suicidal thoughts (briefly alluded to); Depictions of racism; Violent threats against women
Expand filter menu Content Warnings