Overview
Eddo-Lodge brings us through British history through the lens of colonialism, structural racism, and black discrimination. Why I no longer talk to White people about race is a provocative book that will literally make you pause every after paragraph because the accuracy is just, immaculate. Eddo-Lodge explains a topic that is very crucial and true, yet always being pushed away hidden in the carpet.
What I love:
I love how she structures the book in two main parts which are Structural Racism and Intersectionality (Feminism & Class)
The book left me with quite conflicting emotions. Angry yet tired. Angry because racism is such a deep rooted issue and the discriminations are felt every single day. Tired because the issue has long engraved and when we want to take action, often than not, efforts come to halt due to many factors.
Growing up as a Malay Malaysian, I felt I’ve been observing from the other side. Racial discrimination has always been an issue, so profound in other Malaysians, but for all the years I’ve growing up, it’s an issue that was blinded for me. I realised the depth of the issue when I became a migrant myself. I became ‘others’ in a foreign country. It angered me how skin colour is considered a major difference when essentially we are all human. As Malaysians, we can do better.
Even though Eddo-Lodge was talking on racism in the UK, it felt close to home, Malaysia. A melting pot of different ethnicities and culture Malaysia is, is without its own racial discrimination. The majority ethnicity is Malaysian Malays, whom not just have unspoken similar to white privileges, but also written rules or law to uphold the Malay rights.
Here’s a quote “How can I define white privilege? It’s so difficult to describe an absence. And white privilege is an absence of the negative consequence of racism. An absence of structural discrimination…”
What could have be done better:
It seems like the author tried very hard to educate the readers to not be racist, without putting words into their mouth. At some point of the book, I felt she was a bit uncertain on how to put an end to racism. However, I really like how Eddo-Lodge puts a lot her personal perspective onto hard cold facts. Thank you for a brilliant masterpiece.