Women, for example, see themselves as oppressed compared to men, but they might overlook the ways in which theyre privileged relative to other womenwho might also be oppressed by racism, ableism, transphobia, classism, and more. People of every race are going to read this bookat least I hope they are. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. 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. Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2023. Teachers and parents! 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. Most compelling is Oluos discussion of the damage caused by everyday racism, the kind of racist attitudes or behavior that many dont think really matters. , Item Weight date the date you are citing the material. It is journalist Ijeoma Oluo's first book. Statistics are used to support the book's arguments. 3. In 2017, Oluo was suspended on Facebook for her posts about racism in U.S. society. For example, readers would be justified in asking for a teacher who uses a racist slur against a Hispanic student to be fired, but the reader should go much further than that and ask about how many people of color are on staff and how many Hispanic students graduate. Then learning more about it, Then action. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Where there is advantage for one, she explains, there is disadvantage for another, and considering these imbalances closely is crucial. But according to Ijeoma, if Im whiteI dont get itand therefore dont get an opinion or place in the conversation. Publisher Can you educate me?, Intersectionality slows things down. She even suggests writing out a complete list. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Ijeoma Oluo's So You Want to Talk About Race. More than anything, the chapter demonstrates Oluos talent for explaining complex issues in a clear and compelling way. LitCharts Teacher Editions. 4 likes, 0 comments - Lawrence Trail Hawks (@trail.hawks) on Instagram: "We're celebrating our birthday with a booked September events calendar! Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. It means that there is a good chance you are missing a few very important pieces of the puzzle., To refuse to listen to someones cries for justice and equality until the request comes in a language you feel comfortable with is a way of asserting your dominance over them in the situation., Disadvantaged white people are not erased by discussions of disadvantages facing people of color, just as brain cancer is not erased by talking about breast cancer. 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. It is about race if it disproportionately or differently affects people of color. Shes particularly concerned with systemic racism in the U.S. As such, she pivots around several political moments in U.S. history, notably the 1960s civil rights movement and the contemporary Black Lives Matter movement. You may right now be saying but its not my privilege that is hurting someone, its their lack of privilege. 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. Discover more of the authors books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more. He theorizes that dialogue allows for reflection and unity building, tools needed to transform society. People can be privileged for many reasonssuch as being able-bodied, male, or neurotypical. 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. 256 pp. Oluo says that if she finds it easier to get a job because shes a light-skinned black woman, shes benefitting from a racist assumption among her employers that black women are less intelligent than white women. Ask questions, listen, and keep listening. Absolutnie nie odwayabym si ocenia tej ksiki w skali gwiazdkowej. 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. Word Count: 1557. Teachers and parents! I was hoping the book would canvass the complex issues surrounding race and challenge readers to empathize with others they wouldnt normally interact with. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. .orange-text-color {color: #FE971E;} Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration. Oluo concludes that theres a long road ahead but that we can do this, together., Instant downloads of all 1715 LitChart PDFs Oluo is part of a literary movement by women of color who are changing the way that America talks about race. 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. Over time, these persistent microaggressions add up and take a toll on their abilities to succeed in life. Oluo advises such people to take pause when this happens instead of lashing out in defense, which only hurts marginalized people even more. Oluo is a harsh critic of U.S. societys reluctance to prosecute officers involved in the deaths of unarmed black Americans. Ijeoma Oluo strikes an impressive balance between writing bold, uncomfortable truths about racism as well as crafting her essays so that they feel approachable and digestible. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Complete your free account to request a guide. Oluo thinks that people who suggest that social justice efforts should focus on class (rather than race) are mistaken. Her goal is to force readers to wade out into uncomfortable social territory without making them feel too overwhelmed or upset to keep reading. I wanted to discover a book that I could recommend to friends and to people that I think are genuinely interested in understanding how people of color often think and feel and to be able to inhabit/formulate/grok a point of view that might be different from their own. Dont blame me, blame the people telling them that what they have isnt as good as what I have. And in a way, that is true, but know this, a privilege has to come with somebody elses disadvantageotherwise, its not a privilege., Poor people shouldnt have to prove how much they deserve to have a roof over their heads and feed their children., 1. Oluo expands on this idea when addressing the school-to-prison pipeline, which she argues is another effect of systemic racism. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. So You Want to Talk About Race is a nonfiction book by Ijeoma Oluo that addresses aspects of race, prejudice, and equality in the United States. If I call a white person a cracker, the worst I can do is ruin their day. She saves the heaviest hitting chapter for almost the end, hoping anyone who made it that far might consider what she has to say, despite the difficulty in hearing it. Oluo references President Kennedys 1964 establishment of affirmative action (programs designed to reduce systemic inequality in education and federal employment), and President Reagans 1983 legislation to defund affirmative action. Gives the tools to really try and make a difference day-to-day. 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. Bhatt found "no ambivalence or soft-pedaling" in the book, praising Oluo for being "even-keeled" when discussing her personal experiences. can be difficult to describe. So You Want to Talk About Race is a 2018 non-fiction book by Ijeoma Oluo. However, its content is more engaging than one might expect from this genre. 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. There is no way you can inherit white privilege from birth, learn racist white supremacist history in schools, consume racist and white supremacist movies and films, work in a racist and white supremacist workforce, and vote for racist and white supremacist governments and not be racist., White Supremacy is this nation's oldest pyramid scheme. This ranges from things you can say and do, and things you shouldn't, to a handy discussion guide for your book clubs at the end. Instant downloads of all 1715 LitChart PDFs There is no neutrality to be had towards systems of injustice, it is not something you can just opt out of., You have to get over the fear of facing the worst in yourself. 18 Apr. She thinks that racism is a pervasive problem in U.S. society, so shes writing this book to help people have more productive conversations about racism. Book. Many of her childhood memories center on her experiences with poverty and racism. If a white person thinks Im a nigger, the worst they can do is get me fired, arrested, or even killed in a system that thinks the sameand has the resources to act on it., These are very scary times for a lot of people who are just now realizing that America is not, and has never been, the melting-pot utopia that their parents and teachers told them it was. Bhatt, Jenny. : The book presents a comprehensive portrait of race relations in the US by combining research with personal anecdotes from Oluos experiences as a Black woman. These are very stressful times for people of color who have been fighting and yelling and trying to protect themselves from a world that doesnt care, to suddenly be asked by those whove ignored them for so long, What has been happening your entire life? Please try again. We dont share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we dont sell your information to others. 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[16] Harper's Bazaar also named it to a list of 10 best new books of 2018, saying "Oluo crafts a straightforward guidebook to the nuances of conversations surrounding race in America. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. She defines cultural appropriation as the act of taking symbols, imagery, food, fashion, performance styles, or other cultural paraphernalia from an oppressed culture. Oluo outlines her opinions on the topics as well as advice about how to talk about the issues. Deals with difficult topics in a straightforward way, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 24, 2019. 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. eNotes Editorial.