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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
Tim Wise is articulate and impassioned in his exploration of how white privilege has impacted his life. He points out, clearly, the small ways that being white has smoothed his path, and how hard it is to counteract the indoctrination of racism, even for someone who has actively worked against it his entire life. There are a few moments of crystal-clarity, helping to illuminate the right reasons to do antiracist work, and how to continue in the work even when it feels that the world is undermining it at every turn. At times, his prose gets bogged down in an over-explanation of how he knows someone, making his stories feel like they are more focused on name-dropping than on conveying a message. This gets really quite old by the end of the book (I DON'T care how many women he dated before he met his wife), but doesn't really take away from the importance of the message. One of Wise's most accessible books.
I like Tim Wise's essays, so this book is a treat. He links elements of white privilege & racism to his own life throughout the book, and (I would say) very roughly in some sort of chronological order.
Wise explains that he was a national-circuit debate team member, and his persuasive style makes it clear that he must have been pretty good. I appreciated that he smashes apart white folks' most common points of resistance to white privilege in the introduction, so we can acknowledge and accept that it is the very real flip-side to racism, and get on with things. Then he takes us through a chapter about denial, and through to later chapters about resistance & loss, to talk about how white privilege can actually be harmful to white folks and what antiracism looks like. He gives historical examples of white antiracists (past Lincoln, yes!) and what antiracism can look like in the present. While I didn't agree with all of his suggestions (bring along a black friend shopping with you, so you can catch a store owner in racial profiling--except, doesn't that turn your black friend into a prop that you're using to be a white hero? Cause that sounds icky to me), it got me thinking. He gives useful examples of ways in which he has unknowingly (at the time) collaborated in racism, and how he uses that to understand that we need to keep aware, and that even though most of us are probably trying to do things that fight/don't perpetuate racism, sometimes we fail, and the best thing to do is listen to folks who call you out, think about how what they're saying might be right, and reexamine your actions (and, I would add, reexamine them APART from your intentions).
Heavy stuff, good book.
Wise explains that he was a national-circuit debate team member, and his persuasive style makes it clear that he must have been pretty good. I appreciated that he smashes apart white folks' most common points of resistance to white privilege in the introduction, so we can acknowledge and accept that it is the very real flip-side to racism, and get on with things. Then he takes us through a chapter about denial, and through to later chapters about resistance & loss, to talk about how white privilege can actually be harmful to white folks and what antiracism looks like. He gives historical examples of white antiracists (past Lincoln, yes!) and what antiracism can look like in the present. While I didn't agree with all of his suggestions (bring along a black friend shopping with you, so you can catch a store owner in racial profiling--except, doesn't that turn your black friend into a prop that you're using to be a white hero? Cause that sounds icky to me), it got me thinking. He gives useful examples of ways in which he has unknowingly (at the time) collaborated in racism, and how he uses that to understand that we need to keep aware, and that even though most of us are probably trying to do things that fight/don't perpetuate racism, sometimes we fail, and the best thing to do is listen to folks who call you out, think about how what they're saying might be right, and reexamine your actions (and, I would add, reexamine them APART from your intentions).
Heavy stuff, good book.
Tim Wise needs to check his male privilege, which he fails to do again and again in this book. However, since the book was about racism, I will cut him some slack, and admit that this was a refreshingly honest portrayal and explanation of institutionalized racism in America.
Not what I expected. Didn't need a memoir...wanted more of a nonfiction and didn't want to wade thru his life to find the reflection. Reflections are solid.
Gooood book for white people trying to be anti-racist (especially white people doing any kind of social justice work). beginning was more about his life and explaining white privilege but i really appreciated towards the middle/end when he talks about the ways in which white supremacy harms everyone, even white people (although in much different ways) and his reflections on doing antiracism work as a white person and how we have to live our lives as if justice is possible even if we won't see that be realized
I think the fact that this book was mainly anecdotal made it very accessible. I think Tim Wise did a really great job of helping to bring attention to white privilege and race relations without preying on white guilt or pointing fingers. He admits that as a white man, even though he is a dedicated activist, he still struggles with race and has to check himself at times because of how ingrained certain stereotypes are. This book sparked a 90 min book club discussion that actually stayed on topic of the book. Lots of good commentary here.
So much honesty and truth in this book! Anybody looking to dig into whiteness, this would be a good addition to the to read list! The book is a little dated in terminology
informative
reflective
medium-paced
First off, this should not be the first or only anti-racist book you read. Read authors of color foremost, please. Then go read this book! Wise tells his life story here, all while highlighting the white privilege he’s received at every turn. It’s an important reminder that even lower income white people, who may consider themselves anything but privileged, still get a significant advantage just by their whiteness. I appreciate some of the specific moments Wise has pointed out which alone, may not seem like an example of white privilege, but still are when you take a closer look. I’m most struck by his exploration of how genealogy is a white privilege. The slave trade viciously made this impossible for so many Black people. There is power in knowing where and who you came from. To be able to create a family tree is a gift. Wise also gave me a lot to think about in terms of how European immigrants often needed to shed their unique heritage to be less of an “other,” AKA more white. To succeed in America meant abandoning languages, customs, and dress that tied you to your home country. To be clear, this hardship is absolutely nothing to be compared with the horror of slavery. It’s just another aspect of racism and white privilege that I never considered before.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Violence
This is a great book that really breaks down the origins of white privilege.
informative
slow-paced