Oluo argues that if its easier for appropriated versions of cultural practices to become successful in the marketplace than authentic ethnic versions, that means the society prefers its culture cloaked in whiteness. It implies, Oluo argues, that people think whitewashed versionsof black music, for exampleare safer and better for U.S. society, which reinforces white supremacy. . Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. She thought that white readers would "gain insight" on the book and found that the book's tone and use of direct address made reading an "intimate experience". Oluo reminds her readers that anger is a natural response to the unnatural situation of racial oppression, and she encourages older people to support the youths who are pushing back against systems of authority that marginalize them. Meanwhile, the 2016 election of Donald Trump has driven a further wedge between white Americans and Americans of color. I'm finding it harder and harder to not just give into frustration and emotion, so I appreciated this book for its perspective of "this is very hard, and it hurts a lot, but we need to talk about it and here is how.". 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. She lives in Seattle, Washington. In a difficult conversation on cultural appropriation, Oluo suggests that we listen carefully to marginalized people before adopting their cultural products. . 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. She loves her soft and curly hair but warns people not to touch it without asking her permission. She cites the death of Sandra Bland (who died in police custody after being stopped for a traffic violation) to explain why black Americans fear for their lives when theyre stopped by police. Image Credits: Jim Spellman / Getty Images. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. September 2022 . Instant downloads of all 1715 LitChart PDFs Oluo writes so clearly and simply, this book just a pleasure to read, despite addressing emotionally sensitive material. This includes from myself (I am white). , Paperback It is about race if it disproportionately or differently affects people of color. Ultimately, she advises readers to bear witness to the hardships of others. Can you educate me?, Intersectionality slows things down. publication in traditional print. Asking people of color to communicate their views about racism in a nice way is unjust, Oluo says. I am scared and I am hurting and we are dying. Ijeoma Oluo is the author of the New York Times bestseller, So You Want to Talk About Race (paperback 2019), a frank how-to manual for engaging in conversati. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 12, 2019. But do not fear those who bring that oppression to light. The way George Floyd was murdered is horrifying and heartbreaking. Learn more. . Already a member? Learn more about the program. . 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. eNotes.com My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. When people get called out for using microaggressions, Oluo says, the best thing to do is acknowledge the pain caused and apologize. On the whole, I expected to understand the points of view Oluo was presenting from the beginning and I didn't anticipate that the book would have much to broaden my own horizons. What author would write a book with a target audience that is likely to consider reading it, much less paying for it, akin to wishing for a root canal? From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. She shares the why behind her book from the beginning, making it clear that the lives of non white people are at stake. So You Want to Talk about Race? We have to actually dismantle the machine if we want to make change., Racial oppression should always be an emotional topic to discuss. Unable to add item to List. , 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. We dont share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we dont sell your information to others. 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. "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. Last Updated on January 11, 2022, by eNotes Editorial. 2019 eNotes.com Unfortunately, this book appears intended for white people hoping to check their privilege and focuses solely on race as if only black and white people exist except for a cosmetic chapter on model minorities. If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. This is a large part of the books brilliance. Brilliant, in fact. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. It is journalist Ijeoma Oluo's first book. 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. It is about race if it disproportionately or differently affects people of color. It is about race if a person of color thinks it is about race. I can't reduce this book to a headline. 4. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price. Oluo thinks that policies like affirmative action (which, for example, funds scholarships for people of color in educational contexts) do just that. 18 Apr. Oluo argues that the issue isnt about a few racist cops. This should be required reading for every person. .orange-text-color {font-weight:bold; color: #FE971E;}Enjoy features only possible in digital start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more. She also notes that when white rappers become successful, it makes it harder for black artists whose rap sounds different in comparison to get record contracts. Readers should do their homework ahead of the conversation on race and make sure not to police others tone when they discuss the racial oppression they face. She also asks white people to keep track of all the times they say I or me in conversations about race. 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. It's beautifully written, pulls no punches, and really gets the point across. 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. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. Oluo argues that people should use the extra power that their privilege gives them to try and reduceor dismantlethe inequalities they benefit from. PDF downloads of all 1715 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. 2023 . It effectively asks people of color to police the way they talk about racism so that it doesnt upset privileged people, and that demands extra labor from people who are justified in being angry. . Pozycja na pewno bardzo edukujca, szalenie mdra i wana. Oluo responded that future editions of the book would instead use the term "indigenous peoples". This can be attributed to several factors. It's not the first book I've read like this, but it is one of the better ones. Oluo knows that conversations about race can be difficult and fraught, but they are worth it, and besides, as she remarks. This book really isnt an analysis of race issues. As such, the book is likely to appeal to university students or anyone who enjoys learning by way of text books. Oluo concludes that theres a long road ahead but that we can do this, together., Instant downloads of all 1715 LitChart PDFs Oluo is not taking a new approach to tackling race, but rather providing a straightforward guide. I hope this movement doesnt lose momentum and meaningful change finally happens. Educational and easy to understand. 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. Oh my goodness this is good. It is easy to compare her to other members of this movement, writers such as Morgan Jerkins, Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah, and Roxane Gay. 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. June 1, 2020 - 6,842 likes, 131 comments - Erin Ireland (@erinireland) on Instagram: "Muted. Oluo outlines her opinions on the topics as well as advice about how to talk about the issues. In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to "model minorities" in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life. It's not an easy read - but it's absolutely worth it, as every page makes you think. It would be easy for Oluo to use her book as a platform to air long-held grievances toward white people. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. There the lure of that promise sustains racism. I decided to read this book based on its high Goodreads rating. 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. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. : Worth every penny-very practically and neutrally explains themes in systemic racism, Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2020. Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. Oluo's book, So You Want to Talk about Race, addresses many aspects of her childhood and upbringing. 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? It should always be anger-inducing. By examining racism, privilege, intersectionality, police brutality, affirmative action, the school-to-prison pipeline, cultural appropriation, microaggressions, and more, Oluo hopes to change and open the conversation around race for everyone. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. [1][4][5] Oluo also describes her upbringing and experience living in Seattle, Washington. Whenever I've talked with white people about issues regarding race, white supremacy, and privilege, there is a ubiquitous response to some degree or another: defensiveness. She succeeds in this effort by keeping the tone as straightforward as possible. However the general premises laid out in this book are applicable to all conversations on race. Author Ijeoma Oluo begins So You Want to Talk about Race by saying that her experiences as a black woman in U.S. society have deeply affected her life. The past few decades have also brought grave troubles to the surface of the American educational system. Oluo thinks that people who suggest that social justice efforts should focus on class (rather than race) are mistaken. were largely positive. . Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Anywhere in which someone might miss out. I needed this book for a class. Read it, then let your friends read it. PDF downloads of all 1715 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. In Chapter 1, "Is it really about race?," the author states: "It is about race if a person of color thinks it is about race. 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