School Library Journal Review
"You are going to screw this up royally. More than once," notes writer and editor Oluo in this slim but potent guide to discussing race. Nevertheless, she urges readers to push past their discomfort; to do otherwise is to accept a society entrenched in systemic racism. The author knows all too well the consequences of ignorance about race. A black queer woman, she not only experiences prejudice but also endures the additional burden of educating those who are skeptical about her oppression. Precise, poignant, and edifying, this primer gives readers much-needed tools, explaining academic concepts such as privilege and intersectionality, debunking harmful myths, and offering concrete ways to confront racism. Blending personal accounts and meticulously cited research, Oluo demonstrates how racism permeates every aspect of society, from education to the police force. She writes with empathy for her readers yet laudably refuses to let those who haven't grappled with their white privilege off the hook-"Don't force people to acknowledge your good intentions," she advises those who have inadvertently offended a person of color. VERDICT Profound yet deeply accessible, this is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand and combat institutional racism.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Oluo, an editor at large at the Establishment, assesses the racial landscape of contemporary America in thoughtful essays geared toward facilitating difficult conversations about race. Drawing on her perspective as a black woman raised by a white mother, she shows how race is so interwoven into America's social, political, and economic systems that it is hard for most people, even Oluo's well-intentioned mother, to see when they are being oblivious to racism. Oluo gives readers general advice for better dialogue, such as not getting defensive, stating their intentions, and staying on topic. She addresses a range of tough issues-police brutality, the n word, affirmative action, microaggressions-and offers ways to discuss them while acknowledging that they're a problem. For example, Oluo writes that the common phrase "check your privilege" is an ineffective weapon for winning an argument, as few people really understand the concept of privilege, which is integral to many of the issues of race in America. She concludes by urging people of all colors to fear unexamined racism, instead of fearing the person "who bring[s] that oppression to light." She's insightful and trenchant but not preachy, and her advice is valid. For some it may be eye-opening. It's a topical book in a time when racial tensions are on the rise. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Review
If you eschew potentially significant discomfort, then you're probably not ready to talk about race. Then again, denial is no longer an option: "These last few years, the rise of voices of color, coupled with the widespread dissemination of video proof of brutality and injustice against people of color, has brought the urgency of racism in America to the forefront of all our consciousness." With raw vulnerability, Oluo-whose mixed-race African American and Caucasian parentage has marked her with both insider and outsider status-confronts disparity, inequity, privilege, cultural appropriation, and more: "These are very scary times for those who are just now realizing how justifiably hurt, angry, and terrified so many people of color have been all along." Veteran narrator Bahni Turpin moves effortlessly between patient explication-"White supremacy is this nation's oldest pyramid scheme"-to painful realizations-"words [the 'n-word,' for example] have had a starring role in the brutalization of people of color"-to utter frustration-"I don't let people touch my hair." VERDICT Commingling sociopolitical history, personal memoir, and enlightening how-to lessons, Oluo's hybrid treatise deserves prominent shelf space alongside Ta-Nehesi Coates and -Roxane Gay. ["A timely and engaging book that offers an entry point and a hopeful approach toward more productive dialog around tough topics": LJ 12/17 starred review of the Seal hc.]-Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.