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claire_michelle18's review
5.0
Uwagba's essay is short but vitally important. Written in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder and the global outpouring of support for Black Lives Matter globally, Uwagba's thesis is that anti-racism reading lists and white people listening and learning can only achieve so much, that for racism to truly be dismantled white people need to sacrifice their privilege and truly work to dismantle white supremacy. It's given me lots to think about as well as a call to take meaningful action.
rachelemm's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! Otegha really went there with this essay which is impressive in its concise, brutal honesty. Reading it, I thought what a great companion piece it would make to Reni Eddo-Lodge's book 'Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race' only to discover in the acknowledgements that Reni was an early reader for this work which makes so much sense. 'Whites' is a much-needed nudge to the white readers of Eddo-Lodge's book that the work is not finished. It is bold and unflinching ending with a mic drop of a sentence that puts it utterly in the hands of white people to determine whether they are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to dismantle the racist systems that have afforded them unearned privilege for centuries.
lischristin's review against another edition
5.0
For just how short it is, I think it really manages to get the message that it wants to convey across. I've heard people say that it was hard for them to digest or come to terms with, but I disagree.
For anyone in 2022 and beyond looking for a great book to read on the subject of race and racism, I would absolutely recommend it.
For anyone in 2022 and beyond looking for a great book to read on the subject of race and racism, I would absolutely recommend it.
sandytfrench's review against another edition
5.0
Whites: On Race and Other Falsehoods by Otegha Uwagba
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
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This little bite of a book packs one hell of a punch in its 70 pages. Uwagba wanted to record her feelings in the wake of the murder of George Floyd but did not want it to focus on white people, which she found impossible to achieve - how can you discuss institutional racism without discussing whiteness, when whiteness is society's default setting? It was a fascinating essay to read; as a white person, it is an uncomfortable essay to read and so it should be. Uwagba's discourse on allyship is eye-opening and thought-provoking. How white allyship is often a way of alleviating white guilt and that while amplifying black voices and educating oneself on race relations is great, it is not enough. She asks this question, as an example: would you put everything on the line - your job, your financial security, your family's security, the roof over your head - to defend a Black colleague if you knew they were discriminated against by the employer you work for? And this is the mirror Uwagba is holding up to us - that in order to be an effective ally, acknowledging my white privilege is not enough. What is needed is concrete actions to dismantle the systems that - whether I like it or not - I have benefitted from. This has certainly given me food for thought; I haven't stopped thinking about it since I read it and I really want to push it into as many hands as possible.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
~~~~~
This little bite of a book packs one hell of a punch in its 70 pages. Uwagba wanted to record her feelings in the wake of the murder of George Floyd but did not want it to focus on white people, which she found impossible to achieve - how can you discuss institutional racism without discussing whiteness, when whiteness is society's default setting? It was a fascinating essay to read; as a white person, it is an uncomfortable essay to read and so it should be. Uwagba's discourse on allyship is eye-opening and thought-provoking. How white allyship is often a way of alleviating white guilt and that while amplifying black voices and educating oneself on race relations is great, it is not enough. She asks this question, as an example: would you put everything on the line - your job, your financial security, your family's security, the roof over your head - to defend a Black colleague if you knew they were discriminated against by the employer you work for? And this is the mirror Uwagba is holding up to us - that in order to be an effective ally, acknowledging my white privilege is not enough. What is needed is concrete actions to dismantle the systems that - whether I like it or not - I have benefitted from. This has certainly given me food for thought; I haven't stopped thinking about it since I read it and I really want to push it into as many hands as possible.
~~~~~