Thank you.

This book is informative and has helped develop my vocabulary when speaking on the topic of racism. The author has taken the time to educate and put words to concepts I have felt but been unable to articulate, for which I am grateful.

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5 people found this helpful

Must read

Such an important book on race and colonial politics. A must read for anyone who wants to learn about history and the concept of structural racism.

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1 person found this helpful

Life changing

An uncomfortable must read for all white people who say they are anti racist. I honestly never realised how ignorant I was until I read this book.

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Wow, how little I knew!

Interesting from the beginning and I learned a lot of history that isn't tought readily... Funny that!
At times this book really challenged my thoughts and I enjoyed every second of it despite being uncomfortable.
I am white and male, that's some privilege opportunity right there. While I work with overrepsented people on a daily basis this book still taught me a great deal. There is a great deal for me to consider at work, home and in everyday life. Great read and thank you for opening my eyes!

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brilliant

full of things I shamefully had no idea about. a must listen/read for all white people

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brilliant

So thought provoking, as a white woman it opened my eyes to things I have been blinded by.

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Systematic Racism

Yes, this works. The difficulty & ultimate failure/collapse of Marxism lay in the construction of the working class. This assumed patriarchy as the basis of society without addressing the colonisation of sex, race, & territory. Intersectionality move past this.

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A Once-A-Year Read

I don’t think White people can make progress within themselves and their community without reflecting on this book, it’s references/sources, and the people interviewed and their stories alone, each year. Or at least for each decade of their life. There is so much history in here and you’ll find yourself talking to the author, thinking about what you can do, but then after a while, you just shut up and listen, which is probably the best part of the journey. Listening to the author read this is a great experience.

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Recommended

I admire Reni for being so open and honest about her struggle with the denial that goes on about racism and how we as a society and as a race (white people) don't want to take ownership of our attitudes and perceptions, that have been handed down to us. I would like to say that here in Australia we don't have that kind of thing but that is not the case at all, and trying to get people to admit that the casual jib about another race or minority group was not OK is like trying to shove shit up a hill, so I can't even imagine how much harder it must be for people of the actual group to try to get people to see reason.

It only seems to be getting worse at the moment as politicians point the blame for their F ups onto minority groups that look different and have a different experience, and it is happening all around the world. So we need this conversation now, but it is also becoming more dangerous to bring it up and be the one trying to expose the ugly hidden side of our social structures. And the more people take up the blame the more and more minority groups are targeted and the more and more people are in danger. This is something that people of color have had to deal with for a very long time, the fear of losing a loved one to some random act of fear induced hatred. It is something they shouldn't have to live with, we all deserve to live our lives without fear of being targeted.

Of the book it's self it was well written and flowed naturally. Hearing Reni read out some of the interviews she had was disturbing, for several reasons but it really dose point out how the "freedom" of speech is being used and abused when people are refusing to listen to rational requests. The disparity between races on the actual freedom to speak is horrendous enough but it shows that we have more than just a problem with race and otherness (or strangers as people from different backgrounds were labeled), we have a massive problem with perception, and also with our understanding of what things like freedom of speech actually mean.

So basically it was very eye opening. I also had no idea that people in Britten were largely unaware of their part in the history of slavery. Having grown up knowing a little bit about it I took it for granted that they would also know about it. I have read a few reviews criticizing this book for not being more well researched or for only being a headline grabber but that is not what this book is. It is the pent up frustration boiling up and it is a conversation starter. This book is about the experiences of the author and how the color of her skin and the bias of the social structure of the society she was born into affecting her life experiences. It is about being open and honest and about opening peoples eyes to the problems we face as a community.

Um if you have managed to get this far, I recommend the book if that wasn't clear.

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8 people found this helpful

Perfect in every way...

I loved this so much I finished it twice and am looking forward to sharing it with my children. It was eye opening and it met me in places where I believed I was truly alone in my experience. My views have improved and grown because of this book. Having people in my family that I love dearly that are white and with whom I can never ever speak to about race... this book lit the way of an otherwise dark space for me. So while I know many will not receive this book the same way... I am grateful to have it in my collection.

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1 person found this helpful