Whites

On Race and Other Falsehoods

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About this listen

‘An important, timely personal essay’ OBSERVER BEST BOOKS OF 2020

‘Not taking any bullshit…sharp and stylish…brutal’ GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR

In this powerful and timely personal essay, best-selling author Otegha Uwagba reflects on racism, whiteness, and the mental labour required of Black people to navigate the two.

Presented as a record of Uwagba’s observations on this era-defining moment in history – that is, George Floyd’s brutal murder and the subsequent protests and scrutiny of institutional racism – Whites explores the colossal burden of whiteness, as told by someone who is in her own words, ‘a reluctant expert’.

What is it like to endure both racism and white efforts at anti-racism, sometimes from the very same people? How do Black people navigate the gap between what they know to be true, and the version of events that white society can bring itself to tolerate? What does true allyship actually look like – and is it even possible?

Addressing complex interracial dynamics and longstanding tensions with characteristically unflinching honesty, Uwagba deftly interrogates the status quo, and in doing so provides an intimate and deeply compelling portrayal of an unavoidable facet of the Black experience.

Anthropology

Racism & Discrimination

Social Sciences

Discrimination

Social justice

Anthropology Racism & Discrimination Social Sciences Discrimination Social justice

Critic reviews

Praise for Whites:

‘A searing text from a writer who takes no prisoners’ THE GUARDIAN

‘An eloquent, heartfelt mini-memoir. Otegha Uwagba examines the subtle ways in which fighting racism is hampered not only by those who are obviously racist, but more perniciously by those who believe themselves to be anti-racist.’ Angela Saini, author of Inferior and Superior

‘Clear-sighted, compelling and very, very necessary’ Michael Donkor, author of Hold

"Devoured this. Sharp, pointed, clear and brutal stuff." Nikesh Shukla, editor of The Good Immigrant

Praise for Little Black Book:

‘A must-read for anyone looking to be as prolific as Uwagba herself’ Sunday Times

‘Otegha Uwagba is one of London's new generation of female CEOs’ Evening Standard

‘Otegha Uwagba has the answer to all your creative career challenges…this book is a must-read guide for all creative women looking to navigate the world of work’ Elle

‘Avoids all the clichés of the “self-help” genre’ Dazed

There’s no fluff in here, it’s all solid gold – recommend 100%’ Emma Gannon, author of book and podcast CTRL-ALT-DELETE

‘All you lot should get your hands on this. Currently on my way to do a speech and shitting myself,
but Chapter 4 on public speaking is allowing me to breathe’ Charlie Cuff, gal-dem

‘If, like me, you love talking and thinking about your career – and hope to constantly evolve it – this one is for you’ Natasha Lunn, Red Magazine

‘Buy this BRILLIANT book (especially if you’re a woman in the creative industries, but basically buy it if you’re anyone)’ Elizabeth Day, author of How To Fail

Most relevant

A timely, personal essay about whiteness and racism, or whiteness/racism (are they synonymous? - ripe point for academic discussion), that specifically takes into account 2020 and the effect the pandemic has had over the popularisation of anti-racist sentiment (education, protests, discussion, social media).

An interesting analysis of white privilege, with a couple of striking points about allyship: the kind of questions we’re too scared to ask ourselves and have therefore (probably) not even thought of. The parts about racism in Britain are crucial bits of information that need to be heard; there’s still an element of shock when the word racism/racist is said, shock that often shuts down a needed conversation. There’s a danger when we become convinced we couldn’t possibly be racist.

I found the part-memoir/opinion side of this engaging, and, perhaps because it was audio, it felt like a talk or a reading I could have gone to see. The author read was important for me in a similar way, it felt intimate and immersive.