Waving the white flag isn’t the solution to racism

ME AND WHITE SUPREMACY: How to Recognise Your Privilege, Combat Racism and Change The World ★★★ layla F saad

Quercus, £14.99

JUDGING by their glares and frowns, my fellow train passengers thought I was reading Me And White Supremacy so I could become as racist as possible. Still, Layla F Saad’s book is supposed to make for an uncomfortable read.

Nobody wants to be told they are racist but, as Layla Saad delves into the world of racial injustice, this book shows how even the most liberal individuals can take aspects of their white privilege for granted and unwittingly maintain an unjust status quo.

The idea was born as a 28-day Instagram challenge inviting users to share personal examples of white privilege. So you’re encouraged to read a small chunk every day

for a month then answer a list of questions designed to make you more aware of your own assumptions about race and people (for example, “How have you treated darkerskinned Black men differently from lighter-skinned Black men?”).

The aim of the book isn’t to preach but to inform, with Saad offering plenty of historical context to give a deeper understanding of how racism is endemic in our society.

She lists thoughtprovoking examples of assumptions people make about people of colour; she flags “white fragility” (when white people argue that they are not complicit in racism) and suggests ways to respond if “called out” as a racist.The book is overly broad in its recommendations and if you follow them all, you might be in for a rocky ride (challenging racist relatives on their views could escalate quickly).

But if you’d like to live in a fairer society then this powerful, thought-provoking book is for you. It will transform the way you think.