Whites
On Race and Other Falsehoods
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Whites
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Narrated by:
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Otegha Uwagba
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By:
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Otegha Uwagba
About this listen
‘An important, timely personal essay’ OBSERVER BEST BOOKS OF 2020
‘Not taking any bullshit…sharp and stylish…brutal’ GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR
In this powerful and timely personal essay, best-selling author Otegha Uwagba reflects on racism, whiteness, and the mental labour required of Black people to navigate the two.
Presented as a record of Uwagba’s observations on this era-defining moment in history – that is, George Floyd’s brutal murder and the subsequent protests and scrutiny of institutional racism – Whites explores the colossal burden of whiteness, as told by someone who is in her own words, ‘a reluctant expert’.
What is it like to endure both racism and white efforts at anti-racism, sometimes from the very same people? How do Black people navigate the gap between what they know to be true, and the version of events that white society can bring itself to tolerate? What does true allyship actually look like – and is it even possible?
Addressing complex interracial dynamics and longstanding tensions with characteristically unflinching honesty, Uwagba deftly interrogates the status quo, and in doing so provides an intimate and deeply compelling portrayal of an unavoidable facet of the Black experience.
©2020 Otegha Uwagba (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"An eloquent, heartfelt mini-memoir. Otegha Uwagba examines the subtle ways in which fighting racism is hampered not only by those who are obviously racist, but more perniciously by those who believe themselves to be anti-racist." (Angela Saini, author of Inferior and Superior)
"Clear-sighted, compelling and very, very necessary." (Michael Donkor, author of Hold)
"Devoured this. Sharp, pointed, clear and brutal stuff." (Nikesh Shukla, editor of The Good Immigrant)
An interesting analysis of white privilege, with a couple of striking points about allyship: the kind of questions we’re too scared to ask ourselves and have therefore (probably) not even thought of. The parts about racism in Britain are crucial bits of information that need to be heard; there’s still an element of shock when the word racism/racist is said, shock that often shuts down a needed conversation. There’s a danger when we become convinced we couldn’t possibly be racist.
I found the part-memoir/opinion side of this engaging, and, perhaps because it was audio, it felt like a talk or a reading I could have gone to see. The author read was important for me in a similar way, it felt intimate and immersive.
Excellent, Timely Essay
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A totally compelling read
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True
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Excellent essay
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A poignant summary of 2020 through our eyes
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However - if you’re “white” I don’t think you’ll feel comfortable listening to this.
Oh well - deal with it!
Facts
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