Ursina's Shelf - Journey to anti-racism
Issue 31
Dear readers,
Last year’s resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement after the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and too many others prompted many of us to join a discussion on racism that was long overdue. In addition to following commentary and debates in the media and talking about the events and the topic with friends, I started reading books about racism and how to become anti-racist. These were hard books to read, with lots of emotions: anger, guilt, hopelessness, hopefulness, and a strong desire to do better. I frequently put the books down, needing further reflection and analyzing my own past actions, beliefs, and experiences, coming to understand the racism in them. I recognize how much I have learned from these books and how much more unlearning there is to do. The path from racism to anti-racism is just that: a journey. I myself am on this journey and today I’d like to share three books from three different authors in three different countries to get you started on this journey. There are many more books to read and I look forward to sharing more in the future.
Books on racism
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge (2017) (previously published in issue 14 on my top reads in 2020)
Description: British journalist Eddo-Lodge builds on her viral blog post by the same name, exploring different themes of racism, chapter by chapter, including Britain’s involvement in the slave trade, racism and gender, racism and class, and more.
My Take: This book is thought-provoking as are many of the non-fiction works about race and racism that propelled onto reading lists this year [2020]. However, of the several books I read, I appreciated this book most for making the reader struggle in a productive way with the implications of the message, while the subject was well-organized, not pedantic, and still flowed well.
So you want to talk about race by Ijeoma Oluo (2018)
Description: Oluo’s book is in many ways similar in set-up to Eddo-Lodge’s, as she examines different facets of racism in America chapter by chapter, weaving together facts and her personal experience. Her writing gives a sense of urgency, but also manages to bring humor into an incredibly difficult topic, while opening up about incredibly personal experiences.
My take: Oluo covers a topic per chapter, I found the chapters on intersectionality and colorism particularly revealing. I also felt I learned a particularly important lesson on tone from this book. The chapter on the model minority is another memorable one. This is the go-to book I would recommend as a primer.
Was Weisse Menschen Nicht Über Rassismus Hören Wollen Aber Wissen Sollten by Alice Hasters (2019 in German)
Description: Hasters describes racism in Germany and her experience growing up as a German of mixed race. She covers topics like the shocking absence of examination of Germany’s colonist and slave-trading past in a country that puts such emphasis on understanding its historical wrong-doings. She also explains in detail some of the micro-aggressions she frequently faces, such as being addressed in English even though she is a native German and native German speaker.
My take: Living in Switzerland, this is the closest book to understanding the racism present in my home country. Hasters’ mom is from Philadelphia and Hasters spent a year of high school there as an exchange student. Her comparison of her experience and racism in Germany and Philadelphia were particularly interesting to me. I also was really taken with the style she used in her chapter on inter-race relationships, directly addressing the white would-be partner to capture the experiences and emotions they will face.
Currently reading: The Walking Dead comics by Robert Kirkman and artists Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard.
These books are only starting points, there is so much more to do, change, learn, and read as we move towards anti-racism as individuals and as a society. Thanks for reading and being part of this journey. Especially thank you to Alex, who lent me all three of these books, and everyone I have discussed these topics with. As always send your recommendations and have a lovely weekend.