What’s it all about?:
In 2014, award-winning journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge wrote about her frustration with the way that discussions of race and racism in Britain were being led by those who weren’t affected by it. She posted a piece on her blog, entitled: ‘Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race’ that led to this book.
Exploring issues from eradicated black history to the political purpose of white dominance, whitewashed feminism to the inextricable link between class and race, Reni Eddo-Lodge offers a timely and essential new framework for how to see, acknowledge and counter racism. It is a searing, illuminating, absolutely necessary exploration of what it is to be a person of colour in Britain today.
What did I think?:
I have tortured myself for literally months with how I begin to start talking about this book and eventually, I knew I just had to sit down and say what I’ve got to say and hope it all comes out coherently. I listened to this book through Audible and the wonderful thing about this was that it was read by the author so you really got a sense of her passion, commitment, intelligence, knowledge and of course, personal experience of race issues and racism in Britain today. I have to start this review by stressing that as a white woman, I obviously cannot even try to identify with any of the issues raised by the black community but what I really wanted to do with this book was to learn and be educated. I can definitively say that without a doubt this book moved me, horrified me, saddened me and taught me in equal measure and I was so very appreciative to get much more than I ever could have expected from Reni Addo-Lodge’s work.
Reni Addo-Lodge, author of Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race.
Precipitated by a blog post with the same provocative title, this work of non-fiction does its job immediately from the front cover to the very last page. It makes you want to pick it up, to find out what it’s about, to be informed and inspired and if you’re anything like me, to be left with so many whirling thoughts at the end of the reading experience, that it makes you feel quite dizzy. Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race is a thought-provoking, honest look at the history of racism in Britain and how it continues to pervade modern society, despite many individuals insisting it’s a thing of the past. As I mentioned earlier, there is no way I can imagine what living under the shadow of racism is like. I have lived my entire life within a blanket of white privilege and have never been treated differently purely because of the colour of my skin.
In fact, it wasn’t until I started to listen to this book that I realised how uneducated I actually was! We were never taught about black history at school and I’ve only learned small portions about slavery from the fictionalised novels I’ve sought out myself. It wasn’t long before I started to feel heartily ashamed of my ignorance until I suddenly realised that it was perhaps people like myself who would really benefit from reading or listening to this book. I will be forever grateful to the author for her informative, detailed and insightful words that gave me both a deeper understanding and a hunger to seek out even more knowledge (whether that be through fiction or more non-fiction).
This book is such an important and eye-opening read that I completely believe it should be required reading in all schools around the world. Personally, I find any sort of discrimination or racism absolutely abhorrent and I was humbled to read a book that explored so many different facets of the issue, including how feminism is often whitewashed (something I was appalled by), how children of colour are consistently marked lower in schools and looked over for potential jobs when a particular surname is noted on an application. Then there is the politics and science of racism – the ridiculous studies that were carried out on the intelligence levels of mixed race children, the connection of class and race and how rife under-representation or stereotyping is within the media or film industry.
Read this book if like me, you want to learn and become better informed about the history and current status of racism in our country. It’s an expressive, raw and intricate examination of an issue that definitely still needs to be talked about, no matter what your race or colour.
Would I recommend it?:
But of course!
Star rating (out of 5):
