So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

"A current, constructive, and actionable exploration of today's racial landscape, offering straightforward clarity that readers of all races need to contribute to the dismantling of the racial divide. In So You Want to Talk About Race, Editor at Large of The Establishment, Ijeoma Oluo offers a contemporary, accessible take on the racial landscape in America, addressing head-on such issues as privilege, police brutality, intersectionality, micro-aggressions, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the "N" word. Perfectly positioned to bridge the gap between people of color and white Americans struggling with race complexities, Oluo answers the questions readers don't dare ask, and explains the concepts that continue to elude everyday Americans. Oluo is an exceptional writer with a rare ability to be straightforward, funny, and effective in her coverage of sensitive, hyper-charged issues in America. Her messages are passionate but finely tuned, and crystalize ideas that would otherwise be vague by empowering them with aha-moment clarity. Her writing brings to mind voices like Ta-Nehisi Coates and Roxane Gay, and Jessica Valenti in Full Frontal Feminism, and a young Gloria Naylor, particularly in Naylor's seminal essay "The Meaning of a Word.""--

This was very good. Oluo's writing style is very comfortable, especially when dealing with such a fraught topic. I understand that it is exhausting for black people having to keep talking about race, but I appreciate Oluo for having done so - the personal anecdotes really help frame her points and drive home some of the concepts.

Oluo uses analogies for racial issues that really helped me better understand certain issues. Eg. Poverty for black people and white people is like breast cancer and colon cancer, they both exist and are important to take seriously, but take different cures.

The part on tone policing and MLK vs Malcolm X was really well done, and made me consider things a bit different than I have. (I have definitely been guilty of tone policing before, or at least thinking it even if I wouldn't actually say it.) I really liked when she said that (paraphrasing I think) if there's something someone could do that would make you believe they don't deserve what they're asking for, you never believed in it in the first place.

Chapter sixteen is the main one for white people (I liked the strategy of having it in the back, which she notes as well). It talks about what to do if you're called out or called a racist, and offers good perspectives.

The last chapter deals with what we can do, and if you only read part of this book, that should be the part.

I still have issues with the definitions of racism that are used in many works like this one. It reminded me of that meme that goes around sometimes, about some people use respect for respecting you as a person and others as respecting you as an authority. The definitions don't match, and so someone is always going to be upset. I understand that you have to use a word in a new way over and over to get that new definition to be the norm, but I don't think we're there yet and I think that's where a number of current issues stem from.

On a lighter note, Oluo has a chapter on hair, and, as someone with red curly hair, I know what it's like to have people randomly touch my hair or comment on it, and how annoying that is on my small scale - I can't imagine how annoying that is for black women (and probably men too).

This was very good. As do we all, I have more to read and do, but I'm trying.

Excellent and straightforward. This isn't an autobiography but she graciously gives us enough details of her life to ground her anecdotes and examples. She gives great actionable advice in a way that anyone can think on and follow. Strongly recommend for all readers.

I worried through the first chapters of this book, but Oluo does the hard and ultimately rewarding work towards the end. This book is probably a good primer on most of the topics that make talking about race and racism hard. Oluo really gets into the weeds in a good way in regards to the school to prison pipeline and the wonderfully titled “But What if I Hate Al Sharpton?” chapter.

I wonder if the intro and first chapters that bothered me were probably not intended for me. If you've already done a lot of reading on the subject you might think So You Want to Talk About Race was a very entry level book on the subject. It's not but you have to wait until Oluo can get further on the details to really enjoy it.