I just think I'm too stupid to understand poetic language. This is a short book so I kept reading every line I didn't immediately get multiple times. I thought hard about it, tried to get what was being communicated. And I just constantly didn't get it. So yeah 2 stars is just because I didn't get most of the book outside the basic declarative stuff about racism. It's me being stupid not a criticism of the book ( )

A brilliant and powerful piece of work exploring the relentless, horrific impact of White supremacy on Black people through a poetic examination of specific instances, both public and private, that reveal the incessant reinforcement of White supremacy and racism by White people individually and collectively. I'd been meaning to read this for awhile, finally found a copy yesterday, and spent this morning immersed in Rankine's words and the included images from beginning to end. The import and pain are beautifully, unflinchingly conveyed. ( )

A rather different way of saying the things that need to be said, containing a mixed bag of poetry, prose, vignettes, etc., detailing what it's like to be perpetually on the receiving end of racism, from micro-agressions to extremely overt racism.

Maybe, instead of forcing children to read Shakespeare and Dickens at school, we should be encouraging them to read books like this and encouraging them to engage in constructive dialogue with each other about the issues raised and the experiences of those on the receiving end of racism and other bigotry.   Racist is not something people are born, it's something people are taught, and its very clearly up to schools and educators to start stepping up and making much more effort with the young minds in their care.

In the UK "Citizenship" and "Relationship" education is not on the curriculum until after 11 years of age: this is far, far too late.   How our societies are peopled -- our citizens -- and how we relate to those other citizens within our societies should be permanently on the curriculum from the very first day of school, not be left in the hands of young people's peers, bad television, bad websites, and ignorant parents who read nothing but vile, tabloid drivel.   A child who has been nurtured badly up to the age of 11 is highly unlikely to respond to positive nuturing by over-worked, underpaid, stressed-out teachers after the age of 11. ( )

audio nonfiction in verse, ~1.5 hrs

daily instances of racism and hostility and their inevitable cumulative effects on the recipients (and readers), written by award-winning poet. As an audiobook, the text reads similarly to lyrical prose, so if poetry isn't particularly your favorite genre you might try listening instead. ( )

I was aware of how influential this book has been recently! However, since I blank on poetry, and this seems very much like poetry at times, I think I might not have made the connections within this book that I should have. It jumps around so much for me. But again, it probably went over my dim head. But I could tell there were some gems in there. If you'd like to read another book about race from a poet, I'd set this on the shelf beside 'Minor Feelings' by Cathy Park Hong. ( )