The way that these issues are discussed can sometimes be seen as universal, yet they are also so extremely nuanced and sensitive to location.

I have read widely on a lot of issues relating to feminism and gender, race, religion, sexuality, and class. It is always important to learn from our neighbours, however, it is even more important to understand how our own geographies and cultures play a role in the way we fight and challenge these social issues. Britain has its own rich history of struggle against racism, sexism, and classism just like every other country in the world. The emphasis that Eddo-Lodge makes about Britain’s racially charged past is that whilst it is similar to the U.S. While there are some universal themes and ideas that can be taken away and applied throughout the world, it is always important to have a discussion and to really think about how these issues work in your home country. is often at the forefront of discussions about gender, race, religion, sexuality, and class. To paraphrase Eddo-Lodge’s argument, the U.S. is not filled with problems (or other countries are not). When I started to read Reni Eddo-Lodge’s novel it felt refreshing to have a discussion about race, gender, and class from a country outside of the U.S. Most times, our lack of understanding comes from complete and utter ignorance that is either a willful rejection of hard topics and their existence, or a lack of competence and understanding in the topics up for discussion. To say the least, these hard conversations require a balancing act that is extremely important, however, most of us are ill-equipped at executing any kind of good footing. that shape the way they want to talk about these issues, as well as the thresholds they have for certain discussions. People from different sides of the spectrum often come to the table with lived experiences about race, gender, and class etc. To have a conversation about race, or any hard topics like gender, sexuality, and class, requires a level of vulnerability that demands patience and practice. It is emotionally draining, stressful, awkward, painful, scary, and sometimes really dangerous.

Book Why I’m No Long Talking to White People about Race sitting on a coffee table with a notebook and a cup of coffee.

So you want to talk about race review