Waking Up White by Debby Irving: A Review by Warren Bull
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I suppose I am like many other people in the majority in this country in that I don’t consider myself
racist. However, I have learned over time that I participate in a society that favors Caucasians over
people of other races. Without even being aware of it until recently, I have taken full advantage of the
privileges granted to white people and males throughout my life.
Debbie Irving in writing Waking Up White takes the reader along for her twenty-five year odyssey of
learning about race. She learned that race is an invention of society and not biology. She is
remarkably honest in revealing her lack of awareness that as a white person she is a member of a
race. She also talks about how as a “good person” she tried to help people of other races and why her
attempts so often failed.
Once started on the path toward enlightenment, she persisted despite false starts and failures along
the way. What she discovered opened her eyes. She woke up to the reality. I cannot do justice to the
ideas covered in her book in this brief review.
Besides the author writes so clearly that I’m not sure I could express myself as well as she did.
I give this book my very highest recommendation.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll order this book or get it out of the library if I can find it. I did not grow up to be racist, in fact, my parents were very much against that. However, I have to admit that I never had a person of another race in my school, and in fact I never knew one until I started college at the age of 42. Then I made friends with several AA Women, although being in a mostly white area where the college was located, there weren't that many there, either. Once I started teaching, I had several African American children in my classroom, but being in a small white town, not many. I did have two student teachers who were African American that I mentored, and later in the local writers group I joined, there was a wonderful woman who became my friend. She's no longer with us, but there are two African American men, who I enjoy so much, especially an older one, Steve, is closer to my age. We laugh a lot together, and I've started editing his work when he asked me. He sends it to me by email attachments.
Thanks for showcasing this book, Warren It's one I was not familiar with.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid racism and prejudice of all sorts is present in our society today, although recent political developments have been sufficiently shocking that it may have taken a back seat to other concerns. It's far from resolved, however, & we will have to deal with it.