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mengzhenreads's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Cultural appropriation and Bullying
thedisabledreader's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Minor: Gun violence, Misogyny, Cultural appropriation, Hate crime, Police brutality, Xenophobia, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Sexual harassment
offbrandclubsoda's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Violence, and Police brutality
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Classism and Cultural appropriation
jcstokes95's review against another edition
3.25
I found this to be an excellent primer on issues of race in America. If you are still at the stage where you don't understand why touching someone's hair is...fucking weird. Then this book is probably a good starting point, in fact, even if you are further than that, it probably will do you some good. Oluo has an incredible talent for conversational writing and relatable examples. Her story about her Black networking/social 0rg in Seattle was an excellent example and shows she can walk the walk in her own activism. I think this section on intersectionality is one of the best I've ever read; the way it maps race and class struggle WITHIN a movement is a genius way to break down the concept. And it calls activists to do better when they can.
The trade-off of being a great primer here is that there are a few points I feel lack nuance. It can feel more like an overview than a journalistic endeavor, and for what it's worth, I don't think it's meant to be. But, there are times I think she doesn't quite paint a full picture of the school system and I found her chiding of Bush for being upset about being called a racist a little...weird. She seems to push for so much empathy in the book; that's it's a little odd to not have her understand why that might be upsetting (I'm not really talking about White people going psycho mode, I mean, people who are sad about it). I don't really think there is a way for me to properly convey all my thoughts on why I find this so weird, but if you know me in person, feel free to hit me up to discuss. I think this section mainly teaches me (here's my second controversial take) that the difficulty of imagining the other race's lived experience can cut both ways. However, let me make it clear, it's, like, way more fucking important to deal with the lack of empathy in White's that ends up with Black people being killed.
I also have a lot of respect for the final section, which calls people to specific action. I think for many, activism is overwhelming, and this part creates a starting point. All in all, I expect to feel uncomfortable when I read books about race; that's the consequence of having privilege. I also expect to have a few things that are challenging that I still disagree with in the end. But, I think this book can start a lot of important discussions, and hopefully important actions.
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Police brutality
erikabee's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Addiction, Classism, Murder, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Violence, Xenophobia, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Racism
jasminrain's review against another edition
4.5
While it doesn't necessarily give that much new information to people that are familiar with the topic, I really really loved how the book was structured. Each chapter starts with the author's personal experiences on the given topic and moves then to discuss the structural basis of the problem and finally how to discuss about it. As someone who really struggles with confrontating people (about any topic), I found that to be really useful! The book is also very accessible and all the concepts, terms and phenomena are explained really well so I'd definitely recommend it for those who are new to the topic.
Graphic: Hate crime, Sexism, Slavery, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Murder, and Racism
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Ableism, and Violence
Minor: Sexual harassment
aandromeda's review
5.0
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Police brutality, and Racial slurs
jojo_'s review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Gun violence, and Police brutality
Minor: Cursing, Domestic abuse, and Fatphobia
lit_with_lauren's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, and Racial slurs
meganpbennett's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Police brutality