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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 enjoyed Fleming's "real talk" and appreciated that she included her own experiences and struggles. Much to think over, but very accessible.
As a white woman, I am increasingly aware of -- and uncomfortable with -- my own gaps of knowledge/experience when it comes to discussions of race, systemic racism, and broader worldview. I have generally felt fairly aware of issues in this area, but after reading Dr. Fleming's book, I'm left with more questions than answers ... which, to be clear, WAS HER GOAL, so yay!
I will say that this book had a profound impact on my thinking. One of the blurbs on the back cover promised, "This book will leave you thinking, offended, and transformed." (from former Ohio state senator Nina Turner) I can report that it left me all three ... and I'm gonna need some time, some brave conversations, and some more reading/thinking before I can really process all she's said.
This book is worth your time. Read it slowly and give it time to marinate. It's good. Really challenging in places, but very good.
I will say that this book had a profound impact on my thinking. One of the blurbs on the back cover promised, "This book will leave you thinking, offended, and transformed." (from former Ohio state senator Nina Turner) I can report that it left me all three ... and I'm gonna need some time, some brave conversations, and some more reading/thinking before I can really process all she's said.
This book is worth your time. Read it slowly and give it time to marinate. It's good. Really challenging in places, but very good.
I am not sure that this book answered the questions that I had but it was ejoyeable and gave me plenty to think about. I am less stupid.
Goodness, this book was nothing short of a chore. A chore that I felt ethically obligated to take on, but one that was long and difficult nonetheless.
This book vacillates between an academic tone and a bloggy one. While this swing works to Fleming's favor, it came make for a stilted read at times. And (predictably) I struggled to connect with the text, much as I did reading Ta-Nehisi Coates, but struggle wasn't going to make me give up.
These are voices that white readers of privilege need to listen to, and I appreciate Fleming's perspective. That said, I can't say the read was an enjoyable one-- just one that I had to get through.
This book vacillates between an academic tone and a bloggy one. While this swing works to Fleming's favor, it came make for a stilted read at times. And (predictably) I struggled to connect with the text, much as I did reading Ta-Nehisi Coates, but struggle wasn't going to make me give up.
These are voices that white readers of privilege need to listen to, and I appreciate Fleming's perspective. That said, I can't say the read was an enjoyable one-- just one that I had to get through.
I’m sorry to say I didn’t finish this book. I think this is a topic that we all need to be better educated about. But the vulgarity was the first thing that turned me off. The chapter on Obama also turned me off. Her frustration with his drone policies etc has more to do with her disappointments in his policies than race in my eyes. Obama has the uncharted task of trying to be the perfect black representative. He has an entire Republican Party who absolutely hated him and would not allow him to accomplish anything simply because they didn’t want a black man to succeed. He also had the weight of the entire black population wishing he would be perfect so that we could finally get past even a small portion of race issues. And while I have no doubt that an Obama Presidency shone a light on the continued systemic racism in this country- he did not make anything worse. He exposed the rot that was and is still there. I did not find her disgust with a disappointing presidency, party, and policy helpful in what we can do to about systemic racism. I tried to continue reading but the next chapter about Trump went right back to Obama. So ultimately I decided there are plenty of other books on the subject that will help me understand and help me move my personal ball on the subject down the field. This book may very well have excellent points that should be considered- but I could not extract them through the noise of her disappointment in political policies. I found Kendi’s book, How to be an Antiracist to be far more helpful.
This was a challenging and very rewarding book to read. I almost stopped reading quite a few times because I felt like she was lecturing me and it made me uncomfortable.
The premise is that people are stupid about race because society has taught us to be and because, if you are white, it benefits you in many ways. If you aren't enjoying the book I strongly recommend you finish it anyway, I'm glad I did.
The premise is that people are stupid about race because society has taught us to be and because, if you are white, it benefits you in many ways. If you aren't enjoying the book I strongly recommend you finish it anyway, I'm glad I did.
I wish I could give this book 3.5 stars. I like a lot of things about it. It was funny, informative, and provided lots of sources for her statements.
However, I felt like it jumped around a bit in a way that was confusing at times. It's almost like she tried to cover too many topics in a short book and the topics covered were done at more of a macro scale. It just could have been executed a bit better.
However, I felt like it jumped around a bit in a way that was confusing at times. It's almost like she tried to cover too many topics in a short book and the topics covered were done at more of a macro scale. It just could have been executed a bit better.
MUST-READ. I have yet to find a book on race that I agree with so completely. This is a fantastic introduction to race theory in the United States in a practical, accessible way. Hopefully it is as accessible as I think, because I already study race in a university setting. Either way, give it a go. Slam dunk for Crystal Fleming and for Beacon Press.
Ok let me be honest in saying that her writing style just isn’t my jam. It’s a little too casual and bounces a round a little to much for my taste. That made it hard for me to progress through the book and the main reason for my less than perfect score.
That being said, this book addresses many interesting points. The amount of research that clearly went into this book is impressive. It helped me to think about racial issues in a way that surpasses political lines and for that I’m grateful. Overall, I feel like I did learn something and will adjust my thinking because of it. The final chapter to me was the best, very thought provoking and actionable.
That being said, this book addresses many interesting points. The amount of research that clearly went into this book is impressive. It helped me to think about racial issues in a way that surpasses political lines and for that I’m grateful. Overall, I feel like I did learn something and will adjust my thinking because of it. The final chapter to me was the best, very thought provoking and actionable.
It has been a long time since a book made me stop in my tracks and have my ways of thinking challenged. Crystal M. Fleming’s book was certainly an eye-opener for me. The information on systemic white supremacy was particularly chilling. I found the idea of intersectionality compelling - listening to black women/feminists.
I would highly recommend this book with the caveat that you may not like everything you read, however, it will challenge your perceptions in a very good and important way.
I would highly recommend this book with the caveat that you may not like everything you read, however, it will challenge your perceptions in a very good and important way.