Dear White America by Tim Wise

One of the challenge categories in the Popsugar 2017 Reading Challenge is to read a book written by someone that you admire. Luckily for me, I happened to have picked up Dear White America after listening to Tim Wise speak at my school board building. Tim Wise is a racial justice writer and educator, and a man that I very much admire. While listening to him speak, I was completely engaged and drawn into what he was saying. He spoke about the white privilege, racial microaggressions, and institutional racism that plague our country today in quite frank terms. He pulled no punches with his assertions that America is still rife with inequality, and from the looks on some of the other attendees faces, his presentation struck a nerve. After the seminar was over, I purchased three of his books (and he even signed one for me!). When I saw the challenge category about reading a work by someone you admire, I knew it was time to pick one of them up.

Dear White America is written as a letter from Tim Wise to...well...white people. He touches on the anxiety that many whites have about becoming a minority group in America by 2050, and offers his perspective on how we are holding onto incorrect beliefs about race and why it is so important that we correct these misconceptions and strive to create a more just society. Throughout his letter,he discusses several topics related to race, including how white privilege operates, why it is important to listen and discuss racial issues with people of color, how conservative politicians have twisted the history of America to promote racism and gain votes, and how institutional racism affects all of us. He provides several facts and statistics along the way to prove his points, and includes extensive notes on where he obtained his data in the back of the book.

Wise's writing style is much like his speaking style was - angry and to the point. He is not kind to members of the Tea Party, conservative pundits, Wall Street investment bankers, and republican politicians. This style worked very well for me, because I have found myself deeply angry at the state of things in the U.S. since the election of Donald Trump. Like Wise, I am tired of putting up with the ignorance of other white people and watching people of color be marginalized. The effect of this straightforward writing means that Wise's feelings come across as genuine; his frustration does not get in the way of him making well-reasoned and evidence-based points. His passion for this subject shines out from each page, which makes for a highly engaging reading experience.

While Dear White America is a quick read at 153 pages, it's message is deeply important and thought-provoking. This book was a little bit like preaching to the choir for me, since I'm already in agreement with Wise's points, but reading this helped me to solidify my thoughts around race and provided good background information and facts for the next time this subject comes up in conversation. Anyone who feels a similar frustration about racial inequality would do well to give this book a try, because it can help provide the words to talk about race with others. Reading books like this, and doing our homework on racial inequality is the only way to move forward and correct our issues as a country. This book is a wonderful introduction to doing that, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is concerned about race in America.

Challenge Tally
Popsugar Challenge: (A book written by someone you admire) 7/40 
Mount TBR: previously owned 7/60