Book Review - So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5 of 5 stars)

You should read this if: You're unfamiliar with racial justice issues (or "disagree" with the social justice movement). Or if you're a POC who finds yourself frustrated in talking about race with others.

You should not read this if: You're looking for in-depth historical and statistical analysis on any specific racial justice issues - it's clearly not the intention of this book.

Review
This book should be the first place that white people who are interested in racial justice should go. Oluo covers a large breadth of topics, addresses common questions, and most importantly, generally assumes good intentions and offers gentleness and grace. Much discussion around race points out "bad actors", which often leaves people well-intentioned people defensive as they simply do not feel like they harbor obvious malintent. She provides many helpful anecdotes and illustrations, particularly around how POC can be hurt despite the best of intentions - I personally found the "punched in the shoulder" illustration quite helpful for repeated trauma.

All in all, this book is helpful. It's helpful for POC looking to communicate racial trauma, and it's helpful for (white) people who are looking to understand the POC perspective.

I do not agree with all that Oluo says, but she puts forward the best arguments for and against, without holding up straw men that seem so common in public discourse. [Aside - it's good that Oluo put the whole "if you're white, you're a racist; if you're a man, you're a sexist" argument at the end and did not over-emphasize it, as many, myself included, strongly disagree with that terminology]. As with most of these race-related books, I wish there was more time spent on Asian concerns, but alas - one can only hope :)

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[COVID] Remember the Poor

Remember the Poor

 I've been reflecting recently on how whole coronavirus pandemic has really brought out the self-preserving, others-neglecting tendencies in myself and those around me. We've started hoarding, closing ourselves off from others, and hyper-focusing on our investments. Following the recommendations or experts is a way to love our neighbor and the world, but what does it look like be wise and #flattenthecurve while still staying in community, especially to love the lonely?

Remember the Poor

The poor are disproportionately affected by coronavirus. Many people don't have the privilege of WFH or stocking up on non-perishables. Many people who are living paycheck to paycheck with no sick leave are at risk of losing their jobs. Many kids won't have childcare or food to eat (20M kids rely on free school lunches). This pandemic which for many is a curiosity, annoyance, or legitimate health concern is a very real threat to putting food on the table for many people. How can I look outside of my own inconveniences and best love my neighbor in this increasingly difficult time? 

Remember the Poor

I'm reminded of how the early church faced the plague, and how they "showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ." Their first instinct was not self-preservation but self-sacrifice in love. Is the church a beacon of selfless love in these days? Are we primarily concerned for our own good or the good of others?

Remember the Poor

Hebrews 10 - "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." 

Galatians 2 - "Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do." [I wish FB posts had better formatting.] 

Links

https://oaklandcitychurch.org/going-deeper-rodney-stark-and-the-early-christian-response-to-epidemics

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/11/health/coronavirus-school-closing-lunches-kids-eat/index.html

 [Originally posted on Facebook March 11, 2020]