Let's Get (Un)comfortable Talking about Racism
August 9, 2021
Blanchard (Flex Mom) and Graham, cohosts of the podcast Dear White Women, encourage white people of all genders to make an “intentional life change” with “practical steps towards becoming more anti-racist” in this accessible blend of history, psychology, and advice. They explain how white privilege works; address hot-button topics, including the use of the n-word by Black people and the concept of Black-on-Black crime, that can derail attempts to understand systemic racism; and discuss the Asian model minority stereotype and the “myth of the vanishing Native American.” The authors, both of whom are of mixed Japanese and white heritage, share their own stories of facing prejudice, and stress the importance of building friendships across racial lines and having political conversations in the “robust middle ground,” rather than “cancelling” others for their mistakes. Though the authors name common microaggressions such as “confusing one Black person for another” and “assuming that one person speaks for all people of that group,” they don’t explain why they are problematic, or how to repair the damage they may cause. Still, this gentle but firm guide will appeal to readers interested in putting the concept of anti-racism into action.