First Book of 2018! Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

[Tali]

Thank you so much Emma and the team of Our Shared Shelf for recommending this book.

It was an amazing and very insightful read. I feel that Reni Eddo-Lodge really helped me define and redefine my opinions and to understand society as a whole much better.

I truly appreciate this recommendation and feel as if I learned a lot and have so much to take with me after finishing it.

I also want to thank the author for taking the time and courage to write this, because I feel Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race is so relevant and so needed in this world right now.

Overall just thank you so much.

[Justyna]

I just found this conversation/interview between Reni Eddo-Lodge and Nish Kumar, and I thought it might be of interest to all who read or will read her book. The entire interview is quite interesting but these words of NK struck a cord with me in particular:

'My feeling is, if Reni can find some reasons to be optimistic, then anyone can. It felt like you had constructive solutions [in the book], and it was inspiring me to get up and do stuff and be positive, and try and fight these problems. It took me on a real emotional journey of sadness, anger, frustration. Self-hatred, because I feel like I’ve overlooked a lot of the problems the book talks about in the spirit of just moving through it.'

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...

[Britt]

I finally started reading this yesterday (it's crazy how busy I've been and how little time and especially motivation I've had for reading these past three months!) and I'm only 50 pages in or so and already find this very moving and confronting, as well as heartbreaking at times.

[[deleted user]]

Dear beloved Groupmembers,
Emmas comment about this book remembered me of what I felt when I read a book about racism in Germany (&Europe) from Fatima El-Tayeb. For all people who unterstand german I recommend the Book "Undeutsch–Die Konstruktion des Anderen in der postmigrantischen Gesellschaft". I hope there is a translation of the book to englisch soon. Is someone out there who has read that book already?

[MeerderWörter]

Nora wrote: "Dear beloved Groupmembers,
Emmas comment about this book remembered me of what I felt when I read a book about racism in Germany (&Europe) from Fatima El-Tayeb. For all people who unterstand german..."

No, but it sounds really interesting...
Will have to see that I get a copy...

[Justyna]

Nora wrote: "Dear beloved Groupmembers,
Emmas comment about this book remembered me of what I felt when I read a book about racism in Germany (&Europe) from Fatima El-Tayeb. For all people who unterstand german..."

That book sounds good. I'll have to read it someday along with 'The Good Immigrant' anthology that is on my list.

[Louise]

Alecsky wrote: "Dear Emma. If you really get panicked when someone call you are racist, then, excuse me, but something's wrong. The only way to know whether you racist or not is to ask yourself. And of course you ..."

I don't want to be rude, but I feel that what you said is very closed minded. I think Emma panicked because she is a good person who wants to do the right thing and not add to the hurt of the world unintentionally. As she said herself it was not the most useful response but it was human and lead her to better understand herself and racism.

You said that: "The only way to know whether you racist or not is to ask yourself." but simply asking a question and providing your self with an easy answer is what people do everyday, and why we still have so many issues with race. You are right in that Emma is not a racist but I truly believe that it is because she doubted herself and dug deeper that this continues to be true.

As for brushing people off when they call you a racist with the excuse that it is because you are white, only compounds the problem. Maybe you really are being racist with out realizing it. I am not saying that you are a racist but when we don't check ourselves it is easy to assume that we are better than we are.

Also people of color have a valid reason to hate white people, considering that they have been horrendously abused for a very long time and still grow up in fear of us destroying their lives just because of their skin color. No race is superior, and that kind of attitude is very racist and why we need to have this conversation. It is also the very same attitude that lead to world war 2.

People have the right to be angry because of the way they have been treated, as feminists we should have already learnt that lesson, having been repeated dismissed from having valid conversations because we are "angry for no reason". No. there is a reason and it is valid.

I really hope that you read Why I'm no longer talking to White people because we need more compassion and to find compassion for others you need to understand where they are coming from and to be able to relate to them in some way.

[Louise]

Victoria wrote: "Emma. Do you actually care about woman? I have twelve siblings and had an abusive father who beat up my mother. My mother ended up having to raise all twelve siblings on her own, and you know that ..."

Hi Victoria. It's hard dealing with the inequities of life, and seeing successful people can often feel like a slap in the face when so many people are suffering but pulling others down and making them feel guilty is not going to change anything. It might not seem like much at the moment but hopefully you will stick around and find your voice in this wonderful space Emma has created for us.

If you need to vent this is the right group for it, most of us have wounds and stories and we all want to fix what is wrong with the world or we wouldn't be here.

I can't speak for Emma or anyone else, but I think you know the answer, as hard as it is to hear. There is no good way to survive that, not with out being damaged in some way. But you have a choice you can lash out or you can use that anger to help change the world so others don't have to go through that alone, and maybe one day not at all.

There are a lot of people who do care, as hard at it is to believe, but most of the people who care can not do anything to help directly. Its not much but if you need to talk just know there are people here who will listen.

[Louise]

I got through a few pages of comments but I will have to come back to read the rest.

The book is a must read especially now with all that is going on. I am not going to post my review here as it is a tad long winded and of point. But I hope as many people as possible read this book if only to get the needed conversation going.

I just want to say that some of the early comments I was disappointing to find in this group that I have come to think of as my community (even if I am still a bit of a recluse here) and are the very reason why we all need to read this book and learn from it.

I also think we need to have a discussion about accountability and also about how we are lashing out at each other, trying to make others in the group feel guilty about not personally rescuing you from your circumstances, and dismissing other's opinions because they are "just angry" or "other".

Yes it sucks being called out for anything but simply dismissing the person calling you out as wrong and telling yourself you are a good person or a nice person while saying that that person is inferior is some way is not nice at all.

Nobody is inherently good or bad, there is no Superior class of humans. How we chose to act is the measure of our worth.

I really didn't want to get off topic and rant so much but this is really something we also need to talk about and somewhere else because this book deserves its own discussion without being derailed. Why I'm no longer talking to white people is too damn valid and necessary because the discussion about how racism is ingrained so deep into our societies keeps being derailed and dismissed.

[Mari]

Louise wrote: "I got through a few pages of comments but I will have to come back to read the rest.

The book is a must read especially now with all that is going on. I am not going to post my review here as it ..."

Louise - I'd like to hear more about what specifically you're referring to - there are so many pages of comments and different discussion threads that I get a little lost in trying to follow along. But it strikes me as very relevant and important that this group, which is trying to understand issues surrounding race and feminism and responsibility, has these kinds of tensions. What can we do about them - how can we handle them in a way that helps us learn about tackling the same types of issues in real life?

[Louise]

Emma wrote: "Louise wrote: "I got through a few pages of comments but I will have to come back to read the rest.

Emma I think that a new thread would be great. I was thinking about it but wanted to make sure that there wasn't one already but was a bit to wound up to go looking.

I am not sure what to title the thread so if you have any ideas I would be happy for you to make it.

Mari, hey I will be happy to expand in another thread, as I really do want to get this thread back on point as I feel we need to have a proper discussion about this book esp with some of the comments that I have read.

I know what you mean about getting lost, it is really hard to keep track of what you are reading with the way good reads threads are set up.

I think that it is not just important to this group, but also to our movement as a whole, the amount of division surfacing lately is crazy.

[Britt]

I've finally finished reading this book and I have to admit that it was a real eye-opener for me. It definitely helped me understand intersectionality better, but it also really made me think about my own situation and attitude, as well as reflecting on how I can be more actively involved in ending racism.

[Rafa]

Finally received my giveaway copy!!!!
Can't wait to get started.......

[Alyson]

Is this book worth my time?

[Charlene]

Alyson wrote: "Is this book worth my time?"

Simple answer would be yes.

But realistically, I would say the main purpose of this group is to learn and to do that you will have to read books that you usually would not pick out.

[Antonio]

Charlene wrote: "Alyson wrote: "Is this book worth my time?"

Simple answer would be yes.

But realistically, I would say the main purpose of this group is to learn and to do that you will have to read books that ..."
Emma xx is the founder and boss of this bookclub... We need to follow her advice. If you cant find her current books you should find her older books.

[Debbyanne]

I have not read the book yet but would love to get a copy of it! Sounds like an interesting read. Racism is wrong in any shape, form and it is great there are books on this subject as it is an important topic and a lot of it still happening today!

[Theshadowapk]

Welcome to the community! It's fantastic to have you here. Happy New Year to you too! Your enthusiasm for Emma and the joy it brings you is truly heartwarming. We're excited to have you as part of this club, where you'll discover a world of beautiful books. Enjoy your reading journey and the connections you'll make along the way. ❤️❤️❤️





Shadow and Bone

[Tikka Nikky]

nice book