Genre: Adult Non-Fiction – Political Science
Published: 2017
Format: E-Book
Rating: ★★★
“Every voice raised against racism chips away at its power. We can’t afford to stay silent.”
Somehow it doesn’t seem right to review a book about such a public and potentially inflammatory issue at the moment. Writing a review seems wrong, but not giving space to the ideas and problems raised by the author. So, I’m not so much going to review the book, but look at some of the things that jumped out at me while reading it.
“Faced with a collective forgetting, we must fight to remember.”
I debated whether to write about this book at all, but I’ve read it and although I found the tone in places not to my liking, and there are some very good points made and some beautiful phraseology which I thought I’d share here, in tribute to a book that has opened up conversations about race since its publication in 2017.
“White privilege is the fact that 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.”
What I do like about reading something like this on the Kindle rather than in physical book form (and generally I much prefer physical books!) is that you can highlight sections as you read. Having finished the book I can look back at what I thought worthy of highlighting as I read it. What I noticed overwhelmingly is that many of the quotes scattered through this post relate to coming to terms with our own history. I guess we take from things what we can relate to.
“We tell ourselves that racism is about moral values, when instead it is about the survival strategy of systematic power.”
Racism is a problem in the UK, as it has been ingrained into our culture that feeling like black and ethnic minorities are second-class citizens is OK. It’s not OK. Everyone should be considered equal, regardless of race, nationality or gender. Talking about race does make me feel uncomfortable but it’s something that we should all pay attention to.
“Representation doesn’t always mean that the representer will work in the favour of those who need representation.”
There are wider lessons to be learned – things don’t go away because we ignore or overlook them, either consciously or subconsciously. White privilege is something that exists; you might not realise it or think about it, until it is directly in front of you. I found the chapter on white privilege one of the most interesting in the book because it’s something I hadn’t really thought of before. If you’re white, the colour of your skin makes things easier for you.
“White privilege is an absence of the negative consequences of racism.”
I’ve been feeling quite anxious about reading this book for book club – uncomfortable you might say. Speaking to a friend about the Black Lives Matter movement and what we’ve seen and heard in the news offered some clarity to me, but a lot more questions. This book does the same.
“I think that there is a fear among many white people that accepting Britain’s difficult history with race means somehow admitting defeat.”
Educating yourself is the first step to change in any quarter, and reading is a great way to start. If you’re interested in the Black Lives Matter movement, race relations, or just want to educate yourself, this book offers from interesting perspectives and the bibliography offers further reading to delve into.
“If you’re committed to anti-racism, you’re in it for the long haul. It will be difficult. Getting to the end point will require you to be uncomfortable.”
To read the original blog post that the book is based on, click here. (http://renieddolodge.co.uk/why-im-no-longer-talking-to-white-people-about-race/)
“We cannot escape the legacies of the past, but we can use them to model our future.”
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