A Review of Ijeoma Oluo's So You Want To Talk About Race

by Naidelyn Contreras

Nov 27, 2020

The book I am currently reading is called So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. It is a non-fiction book that educates about race in our country, as wellas states her opinion on how to handle certain situations when they come up. She goes into depth about race, racism, white privilege, police brutality, and much more.

I really enjoyed reading this book because it is a way that I can educate myself more on these discussed topics. As well, those who don’t really have much knowledge about how race works in our country can learn more and more as they continue to ead the chapters. Oluo does a great job of capturing her ideas in her writing so that these topics won’t be as difficult to bring up.

This book should definitely be read by others because in schools we aren’t taught much about race, white privilege, police brutality, etc. So, for those who want to take that next step, this book would be a great read.

This book is relatable for anyone who has experienced discrimination of being called racial slurs and being a part of a minority group. These are things I have experienced and the author does a great job of talking about them. This book changes my perspective on our society because I think people should take that step to educate themselves and listen to others. Unfortunately, some white people and even POC become stubborn to face the reality of what is happening in our world. Furthermore, Oluo reminds readers that black people and other POC should not have to constantly educate those to know what is right just so they can feel safe; it should be common sense to be aware of those feelings and to strive for change, not to stay in the same place and never grow.

I recommend this book to others because it is a great read to learn about these issues that happen every day to people around us. Although it may not be happening to you, it is definitely happening to others; POC deal with discrimination, live in fear, and face racism in their lives because that was how our society was constructed. This country was never meant to be great for everyone if you weren’t rich, white, male, or straight so it’s important to be open-minded to the challenges others have to face. It is tremendously important to discuss race, and be open and thoughtful when speaking about this topic.