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reidob 's review for:
What Does It Mean to Be White?; Developing White Racial Literacy
by Robin DiAngelo
Several years back, a team of antiracist educators came to my workplace and did a presentation that rocked my world. I, like many well-meaning white people in the United States and elsewhere, had considered myself a good, understanding, liberal person who would never dream of being blatantly racist and that these good intentions were enough. What they made clear to me that day was the fact (to which I had previously been blissfully blind) that I am bathed every day in white privilege and my good intentions are worth virtually nothing unless I become an active antiracist. This book was one of the readings recommended by the instructors.
There is great information here and it's an excellent primer in what white privilege is and how we can directly and constantly address the role that race plays in virtually every aspect of our lives. Unfortunately, it is written in the style of a textbook, which is to say: dry and plodding. Not every great antiracist can also be a stimulating author and I truly don't begrudge DiAngelo whatever style she chooses to use or is capable of pulling off (though my understanding is that her more recent book, White Fragility, is a more compelling read). Others have done so much more effectively. The information is solid, but too often this felt more like outlines for lectures (which they probably were) than a cohesive read. As with so many such books, in order to do an accurate review, I must separate out the content of the book from its literary value. In the former category it is a solid five-star book, but in the latter it barely scrapes a three. One would hope that at some future date DiAngelo might consider a complete rewrite, though perhaps with the publication of the more recent book this might be unnecessary.
Still, as a primer in whiteness, it contains a great deal of valuable, essential insights into what it is to be white and for that reason alone I do recommend it highly.
There is great information here and it's an excellent primer in what white privilege is and how we can directly and constantly address the role that race plays in virtually every aspect of our lives. Unfortunately, it is written in the style of a textbook, which is to say: dry and plodding. Not every great antiracist can also be a stimulating author and I truly don't begrudge DiAngelo whatever style she chooses to use or is capable of pulling off (though my understanding is that her more recent book, White Fragility, is a more compelling read). Others have done so much more effectively. The information is solid, but too often this felt more like outlines for lectures (which they probably were) than a cohesive read. As with so many such books, in order to do an accurate review, I must separate out the content of the book from its literary value. In the former category it is a solid five-star book, but in the latter it barely scrapes a three. One would hope that at some future date DiAngelo might consider a complete rewrite, though perhaps with the publication of the more recent book this might be unnecessary.
Still, as a primer in whiteness, it contains a great deal of valuable, essential insights into what it is to be white and for that reason alone I do recommend it highly.