The Other Talk

Well-executed and long overdue.

A heartfelt, motivating, and necessary call to action.

“There have been many calls to action; [this] is a mighty, necessary response”

“A clarion call to action, a call to love, to do better for ourselves, our neighbors, and our nation”

"This is the book for all the white folks who asked ‘How do I talk to my kids/students about racism?’”

"The kind of candor that challenges young people at the door, but also welcomes them inside."

“Accessible and timely. It’s time for white people to talk to each other about racism…”

“The Other Talk is the conversation that white people should have had with each other long ago. This book is LONG OVERDUE. For those who have been unable to confront the truth about what whiteness is and how it is lived, Brendan Kiely offers a supportive, accessible, and necessary late pass. This book is not just an opportunity to school yourself. It is a rare chance to truly free yourself.”

“Brendan tells the truth. It is as simple as that--and as complicated. In my 20 years of teaching youth about whiteness and white privilege, I have often found it challenging to be honest with myself and my students without being met with resistance. frustration and, sometimes, anger. Brendan offers us a way into "The Other Talk" with grace, patience, honesty, and vulnerability.”

"Can a nonfiction book about race be a heart-pounding page-turner? The Other Talk sure is."

“An urgent call for white teens to listen, reflect, speak up, and join the fight for justice."

“[This book] invites readers to enter the difficult conversation of race without blame and instead focuses on the necessary conversations that are needed for real change to happen.”

"The Other Talk invites readers to an honest conversation that is uncomfortable, messy, and absolutely necessary."

"Compelling, riveting, emotionally stirring--Brendan Kiely gives us a critical tool for consciousness raising and freedom dreaming. Read this, then read it again, then talk about it with those you know and love."

 

"For all of us who have wrestled with our own whiteness and have asked, what can I do about racial injustice? This is the book we've been waiting for. Teachers, young people, their families, and school communities will find hope and humility in Brendan's book. It offers us practical ways to talk with each other about and move beyond the fear that paralyzes us in doing this work, and it gives us the strength of a larger community committed to having this other talk."

This approachable memoir and guide, comprising Kiely’s own experiences relating to race and allyship, is a welcome tool to help facilitate conversations with white teenagers about white privilege, and the ongoing journey to become effective allies to those in the “Global Majority,” on both a personal and systemic level.

A compelling call to action that belongs in all collections serving middle and high school students.