So You Want to Talk About Race in Words Between Worlds

May 21, 2019 Charlotte rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction-read, oursharedshelf-read, queer-read, black-authors-read, social-justice-read, read-in-2019, favorites

“But if you live in this system of White Surpremacy you are either fighting the system, or you’re complicit. There is no neutrality to be had towards systems of injustice - it is not something you can just opt out of. If you believe in justice and equality, we are in this together, whether you like me or not.”
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I really appreciate how Ijeoma Oluo in SO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT RACE so distinctly and patiently explains the construct of systemic racisms and how at first we can strive to have (better) ...more

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Aug 28, 2020 Ashley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

I was born & raised up in rural America. On one hand, I could count the number of black students that attended my elementary school. There weren't any other POC either. & that's also not considering the fact that every single teacher in my elementary school was a white female. I was never even taught by a black teacher until Jr. High (8th grade). Looking back now, I realize how odd that was. How wrong that was. It's made me realize how unfairly those students in my elementary school had been tre I was born & raised up in rural America. On one hand, I could count the number of black students that attended my elementary school. There weren't any other POC either. & that's also not considering the fact that every single teacher in my elementary school was a white female. I was never even taught by a black teacher until Jr. High (8th grade). Looking back now, I realize how odd that was. How wrong that was. It's made me realize how unfairly those students in my elementary school had been treated by a few of the teachers at times. At the time I had not understood what was happening. I don't think I even knew what the word racism meant. We certainly weren't taught about it like we should of been. I grew up very sheltered & I believe it affected the way I am today. I know much more now but it's not enough.

I am constantly trying to become a better person so I decided to read So You Want to Talk About Race in the effort of trying to understand racism. & how I may have done or said something racist & hadn't even realized it at the time. When we were children growing up, my cousin lived with us. She's mixed & has always had the prettiest curly hair. I always envied it growing up as well & I can recall making fun of it because I was jealous. I had known it was wrong at the time but hadn't fully known why. & I know there have probably been other times when I've done such microaggressions against her or other people whether I had meant to or not. & I feel ashamed because that's not right. It's not right to treat any person regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, etc. with anything but respect. I like to think I'm a better person today but I also believe you can always improve yourself while also helping improve other's lives too. I've grown up in a place of privilege. I know that because I'm a white female that grew up in the middle class with a, for the most part, stable family life who never really had to go without anything. But I should use that privilege to help those unfairly treated. & I know racism is bad, I know it's a problem, but at the same time, I've never really actively tried to do something about it. I'll debate about it with my father when he does something racist & tell him what he said/did was wrong, or any family member, but that's not enough. With the state of things in the United States today, we all need to understand racism better & fight against it. I didn't mean to make this review so much about me but So You Want to Talk About Race caused me to turn inwardly and reflect on what I have done to help POC & minorities while taking a closer look at the disadvantages that they still fight against to this day. I definitely recommend So You Want to Talk About Race to any who read this review but also if I unknowingly said something offensive in this review, please let me know so I can do better. ...more

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