Must Read Monday 10/5/20

The next Must Read Monday pick is How to Be Less Stupid About Race: On Racism, White Supremacy, and the Racial Divide by Crystal Marie Fleming. This book challenged me and encouraged me. I appreciated Crystal’s unapologetic writing style. For instance, she wrote, “We are surrounded by racial stupidity. From the White House to the Waffle House, from the classroom to the internet comments section, from the television to the tiki-torch aisle of your local Pier One- we are surrounded and, at times, astounded by the ignorant and dangerous ideas people express about this thing called race.”(pg. 11) By Crystal writing this reminded me that racism is not an isolated problem it is permeated throughout America. 

I appreciated that Crystal was honest about her journey in regards to understanding race, racism, and politics. Crystal talks about white supremacy and how it is been associated with neo-Nazis and extremists but it is an overall “…dominance of people socially defined as white.”(pg. 50) Also, critical race theory is what we need to get to the root of the problem and it will be the “…kryptonite for the myth of color-blindness and helps cut through the bullshit of postracial propaganda by specifying the role of social institutions(especially laws and legal practices) in reproducing racism.”(pg. 51).  It is almost as if someone from the current administration has read this book.  Since it is so interesting that there is such an opposition to teaching about critical race theory. Only in America!

This book gives a detailed history of how we got here as a country and what is keeping us here as a country.  If you are ready to cut through the crap and if you are ready to critique our racist systems then this book is for you.   And if you are not willing to critique President Obama then you will not be able to handle this book. Honestly, anyone that you support politically should not be above reproach and it should not feel like an attack on you. We should all want to learn and do better. If that is not something that you are willing to do then you are a danger to yourself and others. As the saying goes the one constant in life is change. In the words of Ciara, “level up”! People are dying and America continues to ruin lives either we change or we will continue to implode.

Have you heard of this book? If so, have you read it? I look forward to reading your comments below.