Book Review: So You Want to Talk About Race

Ijeoma Oluo's new book, So You Want to Talk About Race is a must read.

Most especially for white people.

We all know those out of touch, overtly racist relatives and those you see in the Target checkout line. But the more covert and micro-agressiveness types of racism are still so prevalent and overlooked but desperately need to be tackled. Precisely because most white people don't think it exists. Racism = a loud boorish person singing the N word, not someone coming up and touching a person of color's hair and then getting mad at them for slapping their hands away.

This book lays out, step by step, how to address the systematic racism that's been the backbone of much of the United States since white people landed on the shores.

This how to manual is broken into seventeen chapters, covering topics like "What is intersectionality and why do I need it?" to "What is the school-to-prison pipeline?" to "What are microaggressions?" Each chapter covers a different section of the white supremacist state and how moving parts are in place to subjugate communities and people of color. The entire book is incredibly helpful and well paced. Oluo tackles complex topics but never dilutes any chapter, while still making it accessible for those who want to dismantle systematic racism.

White people who want to step up after the horrific election of the current resident in the Oval Office, but aren't quite sure how, can turn to this book as a great starting point. Buy it for every white person in your life.