Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race and Short Inauguration Day Reflection

I feel a bit uncomfortable reviewing anti-racism books. I’m not doing this for brownie points, but this blog is serving as a record of the art and culture I’m consuming and my reflections on them, and this is a book I finished yesterday.

Why I'm No Longer Talk to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge is a thorough, well-written, well-researched, chapter by chapter breakdown of how systemic racism infiltrates every single area of modern life, from education to immigration to feminism, etc. It is specifically from a British perspective, and although it includes American information and anecdotes, I was more often learning about British incidents, attitudes, and cultural milestones that I was not previously aware of. Additionally, while I am familiar with many of the concepts Eddo-Lodge discusses, I learned a lot of new terminology and ways of explaining things that I take for granted that everyone understands- for example, I found the explanation of a "fear of black planet" particularly helpful.

While I feel armed with more knowledge and anti-racist information, I would not recommend this as an intro book or as recommended reading for someone that isn't already invested in the movement. If you wonder why, just read some of the one and two star reviews on Goodreads. I think this is a great tool to further knowledge, but not to make people confront their own complicity with white supremacy.

As I write this short reflection while watching the inauguration coverage of President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, the first woman, the first Black person, and the first South Asian person to be elected vice president, who is married to a Jewish man (and alum of my high school!) and has helped raise Jewish step-children, I am reminded that while this is an incredible step in the right direction and a very emotional and historic moment in our nation’s turbulent history, we still have a long and arduous journey ahead of us. There are millions of people who believe this victory is illegitimate, and even more people who, although they haven’t deluded themselves into believing the lies of a stolen election, still do not support our elected leaders or the policies they intend to enact.

While everyone is entitled to their opinion and hold their beliefs about how we can move forward as a country, hate cannot be apart of that. I optimistically believe that the arc of history bends towards justice, but only because human beings bend it with all their might. As I continue to learn about anti-racism and how to fight all forms of oppression and strive towards liberation for all beings, I know that I will never stop learning, and in my career in the arts will never stop advocating for the stories that will help get us to an equal and just society.

Now let’s go form a more perfect union. Happy Inauguration Day.