Still, it is a difficult subject to talk about. . Such programs, she argues, dont try to give unfair advantages to people of colorthey just try to mitigate the effects of a system that disproportionately marginalizes people of color. Ijeoma Oluo doesnt simply want us feeling better about ourselves for having read her book; So You Want to Talk About Race is also a call to action. So You Want to Talk About Race is a 2018 non-fiction book written by Ijeoma Oluo, an American author of Nigerian descent whose columns and news articles on race have appeared in The Guardian, The Stranger, and Jezebel, among other places. Can you educate me?, Intersectionality slows things down. "Simply put: Ijeoma Oluo is a necessary voice and intellectual for these times, and any time, truth be told, New York Times-bestselling author of You Can't Touch My Hair, Oluo is out to help put words to action, which at this day and age, might be exactly what we need, Harper's Bazaar (Named a Top 10 Book of the Year), New York Times-bestselling author of Shrill, writer, activist, filmmaker, and executive producer of Surviving R. Kelly, and a writer and speaker whose work on race has been featured in the. 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White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How to Do Better, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. Although America has a long, storied history of racial oppression, the development of technology has brought the effects of this problem to the forefront. [11][12] It remained on the list until September 13[13] and reappeared October 4. In the 1997 film " Love Jones ," the main character is a writer and poet who tries to impress a young photographer he has just met by . Complete your free account to request a guide. Please try your request again later. It is journalist Ijeoma Oluo's first book. Oluo argues that people should use the extra power that their privilege gives them to try and reduceor dismantlethe inequalities they benefit from. But it upsets us because it exists, not because we talk about it., Racism is any prejudice against someone because of their race when those views are reinforced by systems of power., You are racist because you were born and bred in a racist, white supremacist society. People can be privileged for many reasonssuch as being able-bodied, male, or neurotypical. Oluo expands on this idea when addressing the school-to-prison pipeline, which she argues is another effect of systemic racism. [8], The book received renewed attention following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. I am so glad that she shares some personal reflections as examples because it makes it easier to relate to on a human level. It is about race if it fits into a broader pattern of events that disproportionately or differently affect people of color.. We dont share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we dont sell your information to others. : But I'm not lying and I'm not delusional. This is where you often hear people say things like, Well, lets just work on what the majority needs first and well get to the rest later., I hope that if parts of this book make you uncomfortable, you can sit with that discomfort for awhile to see if it has anything else to offer you.. Image Credits: Jim Spellman / Getty Images. Show details Customers who viewed this item also viewed Review Try again. I have never been able to escape the fact that I am a black woman in a white supremacist country. This also means that just because something is about race, doesnt mean that white people cant be similarly impacted by it and it doesnt mean that the experience of white people negatively impacted is invalidated by acknowledging that people of color are disproportionately impacted., Apologize. Oluo is a harsh critic of U.S. societys reluctance to prosecute officers involved in the deaths of unarmed black Americans. Oluo provides some examples, such as Wow, youre so articulate and Are you an affirmative action hire? The effect of these microaggressions compounds over time, causing hypervigilance, anxiety, and depression in those affected. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations. Instead, however, she tries to be inclusive and address both black and white audiences. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Apparently, Ijeoma Oluo. "So You Want to Talk About Race - Summary" Magill's Literary Annual 2019 If an employer is racist/sexist, you can sue them. I thought I would get more out of this read than I did based on the strong recommendations. What began as an indictment of the ubiquity, power and cultural cachet of law enforcement has morphed into a national conversation, where anyone, any business, any industry, any institution that. I stayed up late into the night reading this. My blackness is woven into how I dress each morning, what bars I feel comfortable going to, what music I enjoy, what neighborhoods I hang out in . Read it, then let your friends read it. This includes from myself (I am white). Czy czuam si komfortowo podczas suchani audiobooka? So You Want to Talk about Race is a collection of essays that explores racism in contemporary America. Shes the author of the New York Times Best-Seller. She also advises them not to demand an education about race from people of color or to police their tone of voice, because this is effectively asking for emotional labor from people who are already at a disadvantage. Oluo was reluctant to spend so much time writing about race, but was inspired after beginning to ask people what issues they face when talking about race and hearing the responses of people of color. Its easier, she says, for white chefs selling Americanized fusion food to gain traction with white critics, which makes their restaurants more likely to succeed at the expense of authentic ethnic restaurants owned and run by people of color. . It is journalist Ijeoma Oluos first book. Reviews of So You Want to Talk about Race? Her vulnerability and honesty are highly compelling qualities. Using such slurs thus triggers deep emotional trauma and forces people of color to manage the emotional labor of being hurt while trying to get through their everyday activities. eNotes.com, Inc. [6] Bhatt suggested that a further reading list would have improved the book.[5]. Oluo also discusses police brutality in U.S. society at length, mentioning in particular the deaths of Tamir Rice (a young boy who was shot and killed by police officers while playing with a toy gun) in 2014 and Sandra Bland (a 28-year-old woman who died in police custody after being stopped for a traffic violation) in 2015. It is not written just for people still denying that racism exists in America today, but for people who know it does but do not recognize the myriad ways it manifests. Drawing readers in with a story about her brothers difficult time in the grade school system, Oluo argues that affirmative action is an effective tool to combat systemic racism. Feminists, for example, should fight against all the barriers that women face, even if those barriers dont target them personally. 4 likes, 0 comments - Lawrence Trail Hawks (@trail.hawks) on Instagram: "We're celebrating our birthday with a booked September events calendar! White people also often react defensively when their racism is called out, because theyre uncomfortable facing their own racism. And I really, really need you to believe me., No matter what our intentions, everything we say and do in the pursuit of justice will one day be outdated, ineffective, and yes, probably wrong. Jennifer Sawtelle. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides. In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from police brutality and cultural appropriation to the model minority myth in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race, and about how racism infects every aspect of American life. This book is ideal for white people who are feeling like they are not overtly racist but want to understand more about ways in which they have benefitted from structures and practices in our society that made it easier for them, even if they did not realize this. Instant downloads of all 1715 LitChart PDFs Oluo is not taking a new approach to tackling race, but rather providing a straightforward guide. It is so well-conceived and executed that one could use it as a handbook for group discussion, one or two chapters a meeting, talking over what she has presented. And where other authors might try and bring some levity or humor to these issues to make readers more comfortable, Oluo stays earnest. In this book, Oluo works with a particular definition of race: Oluo knows that there are many racists in the world, but she does not concern herself with the unapologetic racists on the fringes. [5] Oluo makes the argument that America's political, economic and social systems are systematically/institutionally racist. Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2023. Even if the person didnt mean to hurt a person of color, they still did. It is easy to compare her to other members of this movement, writers such as Morgan Jerkins, Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah, and Roxane Gay. Brazilian education activist Paulo Freire (1970) argues that to create social change, oppressed people must have critical consciousness about their conditions, and that this consciousness is developed through dialogue. In doing so, it reduces real people to flat stereotypes. While white readers are going to gain insight on hard-to-understand-unless-you've-lived-it topics in So You Want to Talk About Race, readers of color generally will find camaraderie and a resource in Ijeoma Oluo's conversational approach to race, racism, and racial violence in America.. An Inclusive Look at Race and How We Should Be Talking about It. Review of. It also teaches black and brown children that they will be punished for being too enthusiastic, loud, or rebellious, which steals their childhood joy. She uses a personal example in her discussion: Oluo is Black but has light skin, and she says that this is an advantage for her because society sees darker-skinned people as more threatening than light-skinned people. Struggling with distance learning? In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from police brutality and cultural appropriation to the model minority myth in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race, and about how racism infects every aspect of American life. Oluo knows that conversations about race can be difficult and fraught, but they are worth it, and besides, as she remarks. Do not fear the opportunity to do better., What keeps a poor child in Appalachia poor is not what keeps a poor child in Chicago pooreven if from a distance, the outcomes look the same. Oluo argues that this slur reminds people of color of a history of enslavement, lynching, and violence. What we do now is important and helpful so long as what we do now is what is needed now., Systemic racism is a machine that runs whether we pull the levers or not, and by just letting it be, we are responsible for what it produces. I decided to read this book based on its high Goodreads rating. Oluos then addresses racial slursspecifically, the n-word. Oluo was convinced into writing a book by her agent, who conceived of a "guidebook" in which Oluo answered questions she regularly received on social media or addressed in her essays. I hope this movement doesnt lose momentum and meaningful change finally happens. ( This argument says that white men should be over represented. She succeeds in this effort by keeping the tone as straightforward as possible. Oluo thinks that those in power set up U.S. society to help them amass wealth and power by stealing land and labor from people of color. She explains that she needs to acknowledge this privilege and work against shadeismthat is, discrimination based on various skin toneswhenever and wherever possible. Last Updated on January 11, 2022, by eNotes Editorial. Statistics are used to support the book's arguments. eNotes.com, Inc. Its a topical book in a time when racial tensions are on the rise.. Thus, Oluo advocates that the fight for social justice has to be intersectional. In Why Cant I Say the N Word? Oluo, with great patience, talks about the historical significance of the racial slur. Bhatt found "no ambivalence or soft-pedaling" in the book, praising Oluo for being "even-keeled" when discussing her personal experiences. Were all guilty of virtue signalling and wanting to prove were not bad people, and this cuts right through that. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. So You Want to Talk About Race is engaging and raw, with definitions and explanations for whites and blacks alike. : by Ijeoma Oluo RELEASE DATE: Jan. 16, 2018 Straight talk to blacks and whites about the realities of racism. Oluo concludes that theres a long road ahead but that we can do this, together., Instant downloads of all 1715 LitChart PDFs Teachers and parents! If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Next, Oluo invites readers into a deep discussion of intersectionality. Oluo addresses cultural appropriation next. She covers a wide range of topics in this collection, including affirmative action, police brutality, the problem with touching black womens hair, the model minority myth, and more. 18 Apr. For someone who never talked about race in their household, this is a great starter book. "A lot of people denigrate the value of talking about race and racism in technological spaces," said Ijeoma Oluo, author of So You Want to Talk . She thinks that racism is a pervasive problem in U.S. society, so she's writing this book to help people have more productive conversations about racism. I was hoping the book would canvass the complex issues surrounding race and challenge readers to empathize with others they wouldnt normally interact with. . I WAS going to write a thoughtful and fair review. -Graham S. One of Oluos central concerns is systemic racism, which is racism thats embedded into the way a society runs. However, it is matter-of-fact, not emotional, in the way it depicts these events. And what keeps an able-bodied black woman poor is not what keeps a disabled white man poor, even if the outcomes look the same., When somebody asks you to check your privilege they are asking you to pause and consider how the advantages youve had in life are contributing to your opinions and actions, and how the lack of disadvantages in certain areas is keeping you from fully understanding the struggles others are facing and may in fact be contributing to those struggles. Oluo thinks that its important to acknowledge the hurt and learn from the experience for the future, rather than try to justify the microaggression because they meant well. All I want to say is that all lives dont matter until black lives matters. It is about race if it disproportionately or differently affects people of color. This becomes, possibly, the one negative with Oluos book for those who know her from her active online persona and viral essays/articles and might be expecting some of that spirit here. While Gays extremely personal essays are vulnerable and powerful, it does not seem fair to compare them to Oluos. Finally, a call to action in any way we can safely manage, with many suggestions as to how to go about that. Having grown up the African American daughter of a white single mother in predominantly Caucasian parts of the United States, Oluo had a unique and intimate understanding of the nations racial dynamics. This is not a review. The first step to any change (personal or societal) is recognition of the existence of an issue. So You Want to Talk about Race is a collection of essays that explores racism in contemporary America. With honesty and energy, Oluo also offers a wealth of discussion about Black hair and how she came to love her own hair. What one person might see as small inconsequential actions have the cumulative weight of life experience. Ijeoma Oluo first started writing about the issue. [3], The book is about race in the contemporary United States, each chapter titled after a question. Oluos talent for navigating complicated social issues proves highly valuable in her first book, So You Want to Talk about Race? This book is largely for non-POC who wish to be allies or POC who are in denial of, not aware of or unfamiliar with the systemic racism prevalent in American society. Where there is advantage for one, she explains, there is disadvantage for another, and considering these imbalances closely is crucial. Often, being a person of color in white-dominated society is like being in an abusive relationship with the world. That, to Oluo, is what the phrase check your privilege means. Oluo responded that future editions of the book would instead use the term "indigenous peoples". PDF downloads of all 1715 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. In a flash, the white Canadian . In a difficult conversation on cultural appropriation, Oluo suggests that we listen carefully to marginalized people before adopting their cultural products. She even suggests writing out a complete list. As long as racism exists to ruin the lives of countless people of color, it should be something that upsets us. The article solidified both womens reputations; Dolezals as a deeply out of touch individual and Oluos as a fearless journalist willing to tread the trickiest terrainsno matter how many social landmines they might contain. Camera phones regularly capture incidents of racism, making it impossible to ignore. Worth every penny-very practically and neutrally explains themes in systemic racism, Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2020. If I hadn't, I likely would have read it at some point. Oluo outlines her opinions on the topics as well as advice about how to talk about the issues. This guide refers to the first edition published in 2018 by Seal Press. The books arguments rarely rely on facts or statistics and in the few instances where statistics are cited the author often confuses correlation with causation. Intersectionality is the belief that our social justice movements must consider all the intersections of identity, privilege, and oppression that people face in order to be just and effective. Racial privilege is one important privilege, but gender, class, race, and sexuality are also crucial parts of our identity. Work against shadeismthat is, discrimination based on various skin toneswhenever and wherever possible would. Customers who viewed this item also viewed Review try again through that for someone who talked. 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