This Book is Anti-Racist

 

This Book Is Anti-Racist

I felt like this was something I needed when I was younger. Because it is tailored to the younger crowd, it is great for them to see representation in a book. Growing up, I struggled heavily on identity and self-acceptance. During my elementary years, I was ashamed to be colored. My ideal image at the time of what a person should look like was white. In my area, that was all I was used to, and it was rare for me to encounter another black person in elementary school. It wasn’t until middle school where I was introduced to a more diverse schooling, in which I still struggled a bit with my identity. My hair played a part in that too, as it was constantly either braided or straightened, never let out in its natural state. And to be honest, it wasn’t until my first year of college in 2016 that I finally gotten comfortable with my hair. Personally, I think this is something I’m going to have to show my younger sister. She just turned 13 and is facing some insecurities as well when it comes to her hair.

This text related to a show on Netflix called “Dear White People.” It follows a group of black college students at a fictional ivy league school as they face different challenges, such as racism and discrimination. Each episode would focus on a different character and their experience, showing the different challenges on college campuses. The main character, Sam White, has this podcast Dear White People, which is the focal point of the show. In this, she discusses topics such as the racial issues at the school, where she’d show her thoughts and experiences, which has spiked a lot of controversy. She also faces self-identity, like coming to terms of her biracial heritage or being in an interracial relationship. Although I can’t post a link to the show, here is a summary of it on YouTube. https://youtu.be/b9dScJxWVhQ