Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race is a 2017 nonfiction book by Reni Eddo-Lodge, a Black British journalist who writes about feminism and structural racism. In 2020, the book became a New York Times Bestseller and topped the UK nonfiction paperback chart. The same year, Eddo-Lodge became the first Black woman from the UK to be ranked No. 1 overall in Britain’s book charts. The book’s provocative title stems from a blog Eddo-Lodge published in 2014, which announced she would no longer engage with white people on the topic of race. This guide refers to the 2017 edition published by Bloomsbury Publishing.

Summary

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race is an urgent and powerful exploration of race and racism in contemporary Britain. Divided into a Preface and seven chapters, the book focuses on racism, its impact, and the societal structures that uphold it. The book opens with a reproduction of Eddo-Lodge’s 2014 blog, “Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race.” The blog explains why Eddo-Lodge wants to avoid discussing race with white people, namely, their refusal to recognize the existence of structural racism. The blog did not have the intended effect, spurring more discussions with white people, not fewer. Eddo-Lodge now invites these conversations, despite the emotional toll they have on her.

Chapter 1, “Histories,” provides an overview of Black British history from the transatlantic slave trade to the end of the 20th century. Eddo-Lodge presents her personal history alongside national history to draw connections between racism in contemporary Britain and the country’s colonial past. Britain actively participated in the slave trade starting in the 16th century. Although Britain sent most of its African captives to its colonies in the Americas and the Caribbean, some slaves remained in Britain. The country’s non-white population grew over time, notably after the Second World War, when the government actively encouraged immigration from the colonies to fill labor shortages. Racial tensions and police hostility grew alongside the burgeoning immigrant population, sometimes erupting in violence.

Chapter 2, “The System,” focuses on structural racism in Britain. Structural racism focuses on the collective impact of bias rather than personal prejudice. In short, structural racism is about power. Racist structures prevent people of color from advancing while simultaneously privileging white people. Britain’s workplaces, schools, police departments, and judiciary promote structural inequities. Ignoring Britain’s racist structures does nothing to help deconstruct them. Colorblindness is not a solution, but avoidance. Ending structural inequality requires seeing who does and does not benefit from racism.

Chapter 3, “What is White Privilege,” addresses the privileges accorded to white people based solely on their skin color. The topic of white privilege is triggering because it draws attention to the complicity of white people in maintaining racist structures. White privilege elicits negative reactions, such as denial, defensiveness, and anger. It also raises accusations of reverse racism, or racism against white people. Racism is predicated on power. Reverse racism is therefore a myth because Black people do not wield enough collective power to impact white people in a negative way.

Chapter 4, “Fear of Black Planet,” is about the unfounded fears white people have about being displaced by people of color in Britain’s socio-economic hierarchy. Right-wing politicians and media pundits promote the narrative that white people in Britain are losing their way of life and their place in society to the alienated “other.” These fears are unfounded. Wealth and power in Britain reside in the hands of a white elite, whereas the life chances of people of color are hindered by structural racism. In other words, demographics are changing more quickly than the country’s power structures.

Chapter 5, “The Feminism Question,” details the shortcomings of white feminism and presents intersectionality as an alternative. Feminists advocate for equality of the sexes, but they do not lobby for all women with equal vigor. White women speak up against all-male workplaces and social spaces, yet they remain silent when these same spaces are all-white. Intersectional feminism provides an inclusive alternative to traditional feminism by examining the ways race and gender intersect to create inequality.

Chapter 6, “Race and Class,” focuses on the interrelation of race, class, and injustice in Britain. Conservatives promote the myth of white victimhood, that is, the idea that the white working class is losing out to people of color. This false narrative shifts attention away from the real problem of class prejudice. Instead of questioning the privilege of the elite, the white working class blames immigrants. However, immigrants are not the ones hoarding resources and wealth. Class hierarchy existed long before Britain had a significant non-white population.

Chapter 7, “There’s No Justice, There’s Just Us,” is a call to action. Racism is a white problem that requires the participation of white people to dismantle. Recognizing the existence of structural racism is an important first step. White people might also financially support organizations that fight racism, intervene during racist incidents, and discuss race with other white people. Eddo-Lodge urges white readers to get angry and to channel their anger into anti-racism work. Change is possible if people are willing to act.