Take a photo of a barcode or cover
185 reviews for:
How to Be Less Stupid about Race: On Racism, White Supremacy, and the Racial Divide
Crystal M. Fleming
4.36 AVERAGE
185 reviews for:
How to Be Less Stupid about Race: On Racism, White Supremacy, and the Racial Divide
Crystal M. Fleming
4.36 AVERAGE
I read this book to challenge myself about what I thought I knew, and to learn something. This book did both. Fleming offers history, law, and personal experiences as well as a plethora of resources to continue doing research or get involved in the movement for change. It's not a comfortable read, nor should it be. For change to happen we have to get real about what the problems are. Only then can we figure out how to fix it. Fleming challenged me on what I've done wrong, what I've done right and how I can do better going forward. This would also serve well to be required reading in school.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
I loved reading this book. It presents a candid and wide picture of oppression: mostly examining racism in America but also bringing in other forms of oppression around the world and dating back through human history. The big picture explanation helped me see the pattern we’re stuck in. I also appreciated the idea that it’s hard to see past a patriarchal, white supremacist society when you’ve been socialized within one.
The author studied critical race theory and includes citations throughout the book. And the discussion is amazingly straightforward; she doesn’t try to modify the story that is generally taught, but sweeps the space clean and begins building a new story. For example, “Europeans wanted to exploit other human beings for material profit, take shit that didn’t belong to them, and feel good about it in the process.” (p.38)* The book felt like it was resonating as I read, and the author’s voice came through like she was in the room speaking to me. At times the writing leans toward sounding academic, but then it will quickly return to its down-to-earth, fun self. My favorite example: the pairing of “pathological denial” and “historical ignorance” with “general dumbassery.” (p.44)
The author goes beyond distinguishing between person-level racism (e.g., bigotry) and structural racism and shows how people who don’t want the system to change (who want to maintain structural racism) focus on bigotry to deflect attention away from the bigger issue. This made me think of an analogy for racism: rabies. Most people think a foaming, deranged animal defines rabies, but most rabies is quietly incubating in its host, waiting to emerge, with subtle signs like dietary changes.
The author discusses a major question I had: who is it exactly who maintains the system? Is it done consciously? The propagation of structural racism is often talked about as if a team of white men cloistered in a paneled office on Wall Street are pulling strings to keep things going. The answer isn’t simple, but the first chapter discusses the propagation of white supremacy through various means, intentional and unintentional. The system perpetuates itself; members of the dominant party are socialized in ways that ensure their party stays in control. The author uses an example of her own privilege: as a child, she was labeled “smart” and excelled in school. When she first considered that the American education system favors certain types of thinkers (i.e., the types who do well on standardized tests), she rejected the idea because it would take away her status of “smarter.” But valuing each child and nurturing the entire spectrum of skills would make the whole world better, and doesn’t make her less valuable.
About halfway through, I started to wonder, “How is it that I’m accepting all these new-to-me ideas so easily? Did I simply drink some new Kool-Aid? Is it because there are so many references cited, that the book seems rigorously researched and therefore true? Some of the references are simply online articles—who knows if those authors did their research.” This train of thought made me think how I’m always looking for an easy path, one source with all the answers. This book felt right to me, but I shouldn’t consider it the ONLY book to read on the subject. I should keep reading and looking for more truth.
The author discusses her own awakening. She first studied at Harvard, where the academics ignored large swaths of racial scholarship. Once away from Harvard, she encountered more politically conscious scholarship. She distinguishes between the sick feeling the old situation often gave her with the invigorating feeling of the new. She also writes about her mindfulness and meditation practice, and how maintaining that practice helped her identify the negative physical symptoms that accompany lies. (p.33) The description of being mindful to hear the truth was particularly helpful to me, because I’ve experienced it via the Quaker church.
I especially appreciated the “what to do next” section in Chapter 7, because the author acknowledges that there is no one answer: “The answer is going to vary for each individual, depending on your personality and background, interests, talents, and inclinations. So, it’s your job to figure out how you can best leverage your knowledge and skills to help humanity.”(p.179) It’s okay not to have a quick answer and to figure it out over time.
So basically, I think this book might upset some people, and be called a lot of negative things, but I’m super glad it was written. If you're racially ignorant like me, take the red pill! Read this book.
*I read an ARC so quotes and page numbers might change. (I was not given the ARC in exchange for a review, I just came across it on a free shelf.)
The author studied critical race theory and includes citations throughout the book. And the discussion is amazingly straightforward; she doesn’t try to modify the story that is generally taught, but sweeps the space clean and begins building a new story. For example, “Europeans wanted to exploit other human beings for material profit, take shit that didn’t belong to them, and feel good about it in the process.” (p.38)* The book felt like it was resonating as I read, and the author’s voice came through like she was in the room speaking to me. At times the writing leans toward sounding academic, but then it will quickly return to its down-to-earth, fun self. My favorite example: the pairing of “pathological denial” and “historical ignorance” with “general dumbassery.” (p.44)
The author goes beyond distinguishing between person-level racism (e.g., bigotry) and structural racism and shows how people who don’t want the system to change (who want to maintain structural racism) focus on bigotry to deflect attention away from the bigger issue. This made me think of an analogy for racism: rabies. Most people think a foaming, deranged animal defines rabies, but most rabies is quietly incubating in its host, waiting to emerge, with subtle signs like dietary changes.
The author discusses a major question I had: who is it exactly who maintains the system? Is it done consciously? The propagation of structural racism is often talked about as if a team of white men cloistered in a paneled office on Wall Street are pulling strings to keep things going. The answer isn’t simple, but the first chapter discusses the propagation of white supremacy through various means, intentional and unintentional. The system perpetuates itself; members of the dominant party are socialized in ways that ensure their party stays in control. The author uses an example of her own privilege: as a child, she was labeled “smart” and excelled in school. When she first considered that the American education system favors certain types of thinkers (i.e., the types who do well on standardized tests), she rejected the idea because it would take away her status of “smarter.” But valuing each child and nurturing the entire spectrum of skills would make the whole world better, and doesn’t make her less valuable.
About halfway through, I started to wonder, “How is it that I’m accepting all these new-to-me ideas so easily? Did I simply drink some new Kool-Aid? Is it because there are so many references cited, that the book seems rigorously researched and therefore true? Some of the references are simply online articles—who knows if those authors did their research.” This train of thought made me think how I’m always looking for an easy path, one source with all the answers. This book felt right to me, but I shouldn’t consider it the ONLY book to read on the subject. I should keep reading and looking for more truth.
The author discusses her own awakening. She first studied at Harvard, where the academics ignored large swaths of racial scholarship. Once away from Harvard, she encountered more politically conscious scholarship. She distinguishes between the sick feeling the old situation often gave her with the invigorating feeling of the new. She also writes about her mindfulness and meditation practice, and how maintaining that practice helped her identify the negative physical symptoms that accompany lies. (p.33) The description of being mindful to hear the truth was particularly helpful to me, because I’ve experienced it via the Quaker church.
I especially appreciated the “what to do next” section in Chapter 7, because the author acknowledges that there is no one answer: “The answer is going to vary for each individual, depending on your personality and background, interests, talents, and inclinations. So, it’s your job to figure out how you can best leverage your knowledge and skills to help humanity.”(p.179) It’s okay not to have a quick answer and to figure it out over time.
So basically, I think this book might upset some people, and be called a lot of negative things, but I’m super glad it was written. If you're racially ignorant like me, take the red pill! Read this book.
*I read an ARC so quotes and page numbers might change. (I was not given the ARC in exchange for a review, I just came across it on a free shelf.)
Excellent book if you're trying to not only learn about being anti-racist, but some modern history that explains just how systemic racism is.
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
I loved the sociology aspect of this book. And that she references a professor from the university I attended! Her writing is so accessible and funny which helped the facts stick in my memory. I highly recommend!
This book simply blew my mind. I thought I was ready for it, but I wasn’t. I highly recommend this to anyone searching for ways to recognize and combat white supremacy. I will say it was a bit of a slow start, but the last 4 chapters....holy shit, they are worth it.