Backlash: What Happens When We Talk Honestly About Racism in America

Emory philosophy professor Yancy (On Race: 34 Conversations in a Time of Crisis) delivers a powerful reflection on the complexities of racial dialogue in America in this follow-up to a provocative 2015 op-ed published in the New York Times. That piece, “Dear White America,” was about racism in the 21st century and was addressed explicitly to white Americans. Though Yancy knew his essay would be controversial, he was unprepared for the deluge of hostile responses it provoked. Here, the original article appears and is followed by chapters addressing the range of responses that followed. In one chapter, Yancy parses the devastating examples of the vitriolic expressions of “unmitigated white hatred” he received. Further chapters assess the more empathetic responses and consistently invite white readers to think critically about how and why they talk about race, while also exploring Yancy’s own vulnerability within the discourse. Empathetic readers who do not initially recognize their implicit connections to racism will find insight in many of Yancy’s observations, such as his statement that “bonding with certain black people does not exempt you from white racism, just as having married a woman does not free me from sexism.” Direct and honest, Yancy’s delineations of white violence, white indifference, and white naïveté are both thoughtful and discomforting. (Apr.)