Friday, October 16, 2020

The Black Friend: on Being a Better White Person by Frederick Joseph

 genre: young adult nonfiction 


In this book, Frederick Joseph chooses to speak directly to young people (although those of us no longer *young* absolutely can find as much value in it) and explain ways in which white people, in particular, can stop doing harm and start doing better.  It's a large subject to tackle but one that is so necessary and the author does so with humor and the right amount of justified saltiness for his intended audience.  He is blunt and vulnerable about his own experiences and envisions how things could've gone differently had various people been less ignorant and racist.  The personal stories do a good job of helping the reader feel comfortable and ready to learn (while obviously, though, the stories themselves are upsetting, it's that vulnerability and informality in sharing them that helps).  He explains critical terms and ideas relating to the topic and there are many interviews, as well, that provide other perspectives and round out the conversation.  

For me the humor worked nearly all the time, sometimes it was a little too condescending or repetitive, but my fifteen year old son who read it didn't complain about that at all - he really liked it (he found my copy on the table before I'd even read it and he finished before I started!). The cover itself is truly inviting.  The introductory letter starts the book off in a different, more (rightly) somber tone than the rest of the book, which might be off-putting for some readers who may not want to push through. Not that he isn't allowed to have whatever tone he wants, I just noticed it and want to encourage readers to continue reading.  As a white person, there is a lot to ponder and process here and ideas worth revisiting, although I'd imagine that there is much here for Black readers or other readers of color as well, even if just for validation.   I appreciate the lists at the back of the book and that by the end, I really did feel like Frederick Joseph believes that the world (and America in particular) can be a place where we all are truly respectful and appreciative of each other. It's just going to take *individuals* willing to do the work to get there.

**A complimentary copy was given to me by Candlewick Press for the purpose of a review.  All thoughts are my own.


No comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...