So You Want to Talk About Race

Ijeoma Oluo

ISBN 10: 1538475278 ISBN 13: 9781538475270

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc., 2018

Synopsis

A current, constructive, and actionable exploration of todays racial landscape, offering straightforward clarity that readers of all races need to contribute to the dismantling of the racial divideIn So You Want to Talk About Race, Editor-at-Large of the Establishment Ijeoma Oluo offers a contemporary, accessible take on the racial landscape in America, addressing head-on such issues as privilege, police brutality, intersectionality, micro-aggressions, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the N word. Perfectly positioned to bridge the gap between people of color and white Americans struggling with race complexities, Oluo answers the questions readers dont dare ask, and explains the concepts that continue to elude everyday Americans. Oluo is an exceptional writer with a rare ability to be straightforward, funny, and effective in her coverage of sensitive, hyper-charged issues in America. Her messages are passionate but finely tuned, and crystalize ideas that would otherwise be vague by empowering them with aha-moment clarity. Her writing brings to mind voices like Ta-Nehisi Coates and Roxane Gay, and Jessica Valenti in Full Frontal Feminism, and a young Gloria Naylor, particularly in Naylors seminal essay The Meaning of a Word.

About this title

About the Author:

Ijeoma Oluo is a Seattle-based writer, speaker, and Internet yeller. She was named one of the most influential people in Seattle by Seattle Magazine. Shes the Editor-At-Large at the Establishment, a media platform run and funded by women.

Review:

"I don't think I've ever seen a writer have such an instant, visceral, electric impact on readers. Ijeoma Oluo's intellectual clarity and moral sure-footedness make her the kind of unstoppable force that obliterates the very concept of immovable objects."
--LINDY WEST, New York Times bestselling author of Shrill "So You Want to Talk About Race strikes the perfect balance of direct and brutally honest without being preachy or, worse, condescending. Regardless of your comfort level, educational background, or experience when it comes to talking about race, Ijeoma has created a wonderful tool to help broach these conversations and help us work toward a better world for people of color from all walks of life."
--FRANCHESCA RAMSEY, host and executive producer of MTV's Decoded and author of Well, That Escalated Quickly "You are not going to find a more user-friendly examination of race in America than Ijeoma Oluo's fantastic new book. The writing is elegantly simple, which is a real feat when tackling such a thorny issue. Think of it as Race for the Willing-to-Listen."
--ANDY RICHTER, writer and actor "You are not going to find a more user-friendly examination of race in America than Ijeoma Oluo's fantastic new book. The writing is elegantly simple, which is a real feat when tackling such a thorny issue. Think of it as Race for the Willing-to-Listen."
--ANDY RICHTER, writer and actor "Ijeoma Oluo is armed with words. Her words are daggers that pierce through injustice, while also disarming you with humor and love."
--HARI KONDABOLU, comedian, writer, and co-host of Politically Re-Active "Ijeoma Oluo is armed with words. Her words are daggers that pierce through injustice, while also disarming you with humor and love."
--HARI KONDABOLU, comedian, writer, and co-host of Politically Re-Active "When you need a super team to help you make sense of today's complex conversation on identity and representation, Ijeoma needs to be your number one pick. No one cuts through the chatter with more humor, insight and clarity. No matter the issue, Ijeoma's thinking is always essential reading."
--JENNY YANG, comedian, writer, and co-founder and co-producer of Dis/orient/ed Comedy

"When you need a super team to help you make sense of today's complex conversation on identity and representation, Ijeoma needs to be your number one pick. No one cuts through the chatter with more humor, insight and clarity. No matter the issue, Ijeoma's thinking is always essential reading."
--JENNY YANG, comedian, writer, and co-founder and co-producer of Dis/orient/ed Comedy

"Oluo has created a brilliant and thought-provoking work. Seamlessly connecting deeply moving personal stories with practical solutions, readers will leave with inspiration and tools to help create personal and societal transformations. A necessary read for any white person seriously committed to better understanding race in the United States."
--MATT McGORRY, actor "Straight talk to blacks and whites about the realities of racism. . . A clear and candid contribution to an essential conversation."
--Kirkus
"Everyone should be paying attention to Ijeoma Oluo."
--The Root
"While so many people want to become 'thought leaders,' 'bloggers,' or even just 'influential,' Oluo is eons past that."
--Forbes
"Insightful and trenchant"―Publisher s Weekly "With a clever approach that uses anecdotes, facts, and a little humor, the author challenges all readers to assess their own beliefs and perceptions while clearly looking at polarizing issues"―Library Journal, *starred review* "Read it, then recommend it to everyone you know."
―Harper s Bazaar, One of 10 Books to Read in 2018 "Oluo answers the questions readers don't dare ask."―The Rumpus "Ijeoma Oluo has built a career on speaking truth to power... [here] she offers a guidebook for those who want to confront racism and white supremacy in their everyday lives, but are unsure where to start."

―Bit*h "Oluo astutely dismantles issues such as police brutality, cultural appropriation and microaggressions, and the pervasive, poisonous power of racism and white supremacy...balancing the intimacy of a memoirist with the dedication of an investigative journalist."
―Bookpage "Impassioned and unflinching"
―Vogue.com "Generous and empathetic, yet usefully blunt...it's for anyone who wants to be smarter and more empathetic about matters of race and engage in more productive anti-racist action."―Salon.com (Required Reading) "White readers are going to gain insight ... readers of color generally will find camaraderie and a resource."―Washington Independent Review of Books "Valiant, graceful... urgently needed...(Oluo) pulls the most exasperated of us back from the brink and reminds us what's to be gained from the discussion."
―Seattle Times

About this edition

• Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1538475278
• ISBN 13: 9781538475270
• Binding: Audio CD
• Number of pages: 1