How to Be an Antiracist (One World Essentials)

Five luminous 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟stars! This is a bold book of reckoning. Kudos to Ibram Kendi for having the testicular fortitude to bring new ideas to the marketplace. Although antiracism isn’t necessarily a brand new idea, Kendi has placed his indelible stamp on it and will now be forever linked to it with this very important book. One of the things that impress, and is helpful in discussion and debate are clear definitions. As he did in his previous work, Stamped From The Beginning he is laborious about exactly defining the terms he uses. Readers will appreciate this as it helps to flush out clarity.And I would add, arms one against the attacks that are surely coming from all angles. I distinctly remember the debate around Afrocentricity and all the myriad ways that people defined it. The hijacking was possible because Molefi Asante possibly didn’t go deep enough in his definition of Afrocentricity, although that was later definitively corrected.Kendi is seeking to avoid this error writing, “defining our terms so that we could begin to describe the world and our place in it. Definitions anchor us in principles......Some of my most consequential steps toward being an antiracist have been the moments when I arrived at basic definitions....So let’s set some definitions. What is racism?” Kendi having spent time in Asante’s Africology Ph.D. program at Temple University might account for some of this diligence.We’ll come back to his definition, as that will surely become the cause of some attacks because he has dared to challenge long-held beliefs about racism, racists, and who can and cannot be considered racists. Whenever you are bold enough to offer new thoughts to the marketplace of ideas, you had better be ready for battle, and if this book is any indication Kendi is indeed ready. Alongside his guide to becoming antiracist, he offers his own personal journey which adds a personal flavor to the book and keeps it from sagging into academic boredom.So, for Black folk it’s true that many of us have a definition of racism, that excludes Blacks from being racist, well Kendi challenges that and forces us to possibly make an adjustment to our definition. That’s going to be a tough one for sure, but his arguments here are very cogent and considering his definition of racism, quite logical.When was the last time a book made you reconsider some defining principles? Wow! For non-Blacks, just saying well I’m ‘not racist‘ will no longer cut it. To wit, “What’s the problem with being ‘not racist’? It is a claim that signifies neutrality: ‘I am not a racist, but neither am I aggressively against racism.’ But there is no neutrality in the racism struggle. The opposite of “racist” isn’t “not racist.” It is “antiracist.” What’s the difference? One endorses either the idea of a racial hierarchy as a racist or racial equality as an antiracist.”With chapters on Power, Biology, Class, Black, White, etc. Kendi has made a thorough attempt to spark a movement towards antiracism, that results in a world where people actively and consciously fight against racism. Is that a pipe dream? As detailed here in this text, if we accept the definitions then no, it is indeed achievable, but we must do the work and it starts with the man in the mirror. That was the first place I went after finishing this book and contemplating this new definition of racism,“So let’s set some definitions. What is racism? Racism is a marriage of racist policies and racist ideas that produces and normalizes racial inequities. Okay, so what are racist policies and ideas?” Damn you, Kendi! What are racist policies and ideas, well you will have to get this book, READ and engage the ideas of antiracism and hopefully be on your way to becoming an Antiracist! Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Oneworld Publishing for an advanced DRC. Book will explode onto shelves Tues. August 13, 2019

On a whim, I encountered this book on Amazon while looking through other topical pieces during these dangerous times that we live in. The title stuck with me, with its graffiti looking cover and the fact that it made me desire to read more. My usual book purchases are not topical pieces, instead diving more into the historical biographies and events that surround and form our current present day, but African-American studies have interested me in recent years, especially after the recent death of George Floyd, which affected Minneapolis, somewhere pretty close to me. I normally reside on the sidelines, but, driven by the pursuit of knowledge, I clicked 'Buy.' Two days later, the book arrived on my doorstep.After finishing the previous read, I took it up on Thursday of last week. I finished it Sunday morning.Simply put, this book is one of the most effective, thought provoking reads that I have dug into. It made me frustrated, leaving me with grasping straws on how these sort of things could still be happening in the 21st century, AKA the most progressive America has been on social issues in a very long time.The book is framed in a way that both straddles biography and topical studies. Each chapter begins with a personal story from the author, about how even as a black individual he still absorbed racist thoughts when he was a child, teen, and young adult. This is countered by the reasoning on why people think this way, from historical context to sociology to psychology. It covers a wide swath of topics, from the initial slave trade (and the birth of racism in the Portuguese Empire) to the Civil Rights movement, and, some might even say controversially, statements from the current president in 2019. But, I feel, it straddles the line of being politically neutral while also being pointed in its criticisms of voter suppression, racial inequality, but does so in a convincing way that renders the argument even more powerful than before. And to counter those reviews on here that states that it is a leftist complaining about this and that, I would like to encourage you to dig through the eighty pages of references and sources that he has in the book. If you disagree with the author after this book, do some digging yourself!Once I finished the book, I knew I had to order it for friends and family. As of typing this out right now, this book has either been shipped or will be arriving to my brothers, parents and friends. I may order more, who knows. What I do know is that this book should be deeply encouraged to be read by as many people as possible.Only together can we bring true equality and make the words, 'All men are created equal,' a reality.

Super

Como muita gente por aí, li esse livro depois de ver diversas recomendações nas mídias sociais durante os protestos que ocorreram esse ano. Antes de pegar ele, eu me achava informada até. Descobri que não sou nem um pouco. Dificuldades "básicas" que os negros sofrem desde a nascença são coisas que nunca pensei sobre e nem ouvi ninguém falando sobre, a minha vida inteira. E que erro imenso é esse que estamos cometendo como sociedade!Entendo hoje que não sei nada mesmo, e que por ser uma mulher cis branca, conto com privilégios que eu nem sabia serem privilégios - como saber de onde a minha família vêm no mundo. O mínimo que posso fazer é me educar.

I highly recommend giving this book a read. The author shares his own journey into antiracism and in so doing holds up a mirror to all of us to choose again and again the antiracist in us. The book is filled with definitions and stories which bring clarity and help toward understanding and several chapters are devoted towards the importance of intersectionality. Everybody should give this book a read, especially in light of recent times. Everybody will benefit from doing so.

Das ist eins der besten Bücher über Rassismus.

This is one of the best books I have EVER read👏👏🏿👏🏾👏🏽👏🏼👏🏻👏! It is a GREAT book! Having bought it, soon after the murder of George Floyd, I was afraid to start it! I was scared of what I would learn about myself 😬, and feared I would end up feeling guilty, ashamed, and helpless 😣.Professor Kendi’s honesty and vulnerability, from the first page, drew me right in. It is so inclusively written, as if he is speaking to each reader specifically. I have read things that have surprised me, things that have challenged me, and some that have made me wince. I have had many “Eureka” moments. Most unexpectedly, I have also felt comforted and encouraged!In “How to Be an Antiracist”, Ibram X Kendi has written a book which manages to be not only challenging and informative, but also accessible, personal, and inspirational. I LOVE THIS BOOK!You need to read this book, EVERYONE needs to read this book 📖!