White Like Me (Review)

This is the third book I've read this year. I spent about 6 hour reading it.

This weekend, I read White Like Me. It's a memior of the author and anti-racist activist, Tim Wise, but it's much more than that.

I chose to read this book because we will soon be going through a chapter on racial inequality in sociology. Since I foresee a lot of difficult questions posed by students who want my views on complex racial issues, I decided to beef up on the topic by reading articles and books from today's leading voices on the issue.

This book's intended audience, I'm assuming, is the modern white person. In it, Tim Wise very clearly, and very carefully lays out the argument that if you're white in America (and through much of the world) you were born into a status sociologists like to call "white privilege".

White privilege has many facets, but if I had to illustrate one to generalize all the rest it would be this: If you're white in America, you're actions & intentions are seen as uniquely you. Your thoughs, your actions, your fault if you mess up.

On the other hand, white privelege doesn't grant the same benefit-of-the-doubt to people of color. For when they apply for a job, enter a store, get pulled over, they are often seen first as a product of their race, and as individuals second.

The book also covers topics of welfare, education, housing, police, politics and many other racially charged issues.

Before I read this book, I didn't really think about my how my race affected my life, that's because I didn't have to. This is the point of the book. I'd reccomend it to any person wanting to learn more about racism and inequality as it stands in 2008.

My Rating: 5 / 5

Total Time Spent Reading: 18