Speaking of Race: Why We Need to Talk About Race-and How to Do It Effectively
- Downloads：2032
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-12-31 06:51:42
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Celeste Headlee
- ISBN：0063098156
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
In this urgently needed guide， the PBS host， award-winning journalist， and author of We Need to Talk teaches us how to have productive conversations about race， offering insights， advice， and support。
A self-described “light-skinned Black Jew，” Celeste Headlee has been forced to speak about race—including having to defend or define her own—since childhood。 In her career as a journalist for public media， she’s made it a priority to talk about race proactively。 She’s discovered， however， that those exchanges have rarely been productive。 While many people say they want to talk about race， the reality is， they want to talk about race with people who agree with them。 The subject makes us uncomfortable; it’s often not considered polite or appropriate。 To avoid these painful discussions， we stay in our bubbles， reinforcing our own sense of righteousness as well as our division。
Yet we gain nothing by not engaging with those we disagree with; empathy does not develop in a vacuum and racism won’t just fade away。 If we are to effect meaningful change as a society， Headlee argues， we have to be able to talk about what that change looks like without fear of losing friends and jobs， or being ostracized。 In Speaking of Race， Headlee draws from her experiences as a journalist， and the latest research on bias， communication， and neuroscience to provide practical advice and insight for talking about race that will facilitate better conversations that can actually bring us closer together。
This is the book for people who have tried to debate and educate and argue and got nowhere; it is the book for those who have stopped talking to a neighbor or dread Thanksgiving dinner。 It is an essential and timely book for all of us。
A self-described “light-skinned Black Jew，” Celeste Headlee has been forced to speak about race—including having to defend or define her own—since childhood。 In her career as a journalist for public media， she’s made it a priority to talk about race proactively。 She’s discovered， however， that those exchanges have rarely been productive。 While many people say they want to talk about race， the reality is， they want to talk about race with people who agree with them。 The subject makes us uncomfortable; it’s often not considered polite or appropriate。 To avoid these painful discussions， we stay in our bubbles， reinforcing our own sense of righteousness as well as our division。
Yet we gain nothing by not engaging with those we disagree with; empathy does not develop in a vacuum and racism won’t just fade away。 If we are to effect meaningful change as a society， Headlee argues， we have to be able to talk about what that change looks like without fear of losing friends and jobs， or being ostracized。 In Speaking of Race， Headlee draws from her experiences as a journalist， and the latest research on bias， communication， and neuroscience to provide practical advice and insight for talking about race that will facilitate better conversations that can actually bring us closer together。
This is the book for people who have tried to debate and educate and argue and got nowhere; it is the book for those who have stopped talking to a neighbor or dread Thanksgiving dinner。 It is an essential and timely book for all of us。
Reviews
Stephanie F
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She explains how to have difficult conversations while making you feel accepted， human， AND backing everything in research。
Parker
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Excellent book。 Conversations regarding race are often uncomfortable -- if they happen at all， and can end up with accusations being flung。This is a guide about how to de-escalate those conversations。
Jennifer Louden
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This is the book every person needs to read to actually talk to people of other races and to people of the same race about race。 Celeste doesn't let you off the hook about your racism and your discomfort but she never shames you which makes you eager to use her tools。 Listen to her on my podcast Create out Loud on January 25th - she is truly amazing！ And read Do Nothing while you are at it！ This is the book every person needs to read to actually talk to people of other races and to people of the same race about race。 Celeste doesn't let you off the hook about your racism and your discomfort but she never shames you which makes you eager to use her tools。 Listen to her on my podcast Create out Loud on January 25th - she is truly amazing！ And read Do Nothing while you are at it！ 。。。more
Paleoanthro
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One of the best books of the year！ Full of details to enhance your conversational skills， especially about controversial topics， this is a powerful， actionable， and well researched text that everyone should read。 Headlee provides the reader with the foundation to have those difficult conversations about race and to do so in a productive manner that can lead to understanding， and hopefully， change。 Packed with insights and tools， this book is an essential tool to increase your knowledge and under One of the best books of the year！ Full of details to enhance your conversational skills， especially about controversial topics， this is a powerful， actionable， and well researched text that everyone should read。 Headlee provides the reader with the foundation to have those difficult conversations about race and to do so in a productive manner that can lead to understanding， and hopefully， change。 Packed with insights and tools， this book is an essential tool to increase your knowledge and understanding on how to truly have a conversation with others。 。。。more
Elbrackeen Brackeen
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Wish this was around while I was still working
Kristen Kristens。reading。nook
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Speaking of Race is a great tool for opening up conversations about race with those you disagree with。 Most of the book focuses on ten steps to keep in mind when entering into hard conversations， including finding common ground and what questions are good ones to ask。 It also addresses topics like what to do when you have messed up when speaking to someone of a different race or background。 I marked a lot of passages in the book， but I think my favorite is that “we cannot bring about big change Speaking of Race is a great tool for opening up conversations about race with those you disagree with。 Most of the book focuses on ten steps to keep in mind when entering into hard conversations， including finding common ground and what questions are good ones to ask。 It also addresses topics like what to do when you have messed up when speaking to someone of a different race or background。 I marked a lot of passages in the book， but I think my favorite is that “we cannot bring about big change without small change”。 。。。more
Toby Terwilliger
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Enlightening and timely！ The book that so badly needed to be written in the era of the Trump Presidency， the resurgence of white supremacy， and bad faith arguments about Critical Race Theory。Headlee， journalist and public speaker， makes the persuasive argument about WHY we must talk to one another about racism in America and then gives some high yield pointers on HOW to do so effectively。 My biggest take home from Headlee's work is that it almost doesn't matter the outcome of your conversation， Enlightening and timely！ The book that so badly needed to be written in the era of the Trump Presidency， the resurgence of white supremacy， and bad faith arguments about Critical Race Theory。Headlee， journalist and public speaker， makes the persuasive argument about WHY we must talk to one another about racism in America and then gives some high yield pointers on HOW to do so effectively。 My biggest take home from Headlee's work is that it almost doesn't matter the outcome of your conversation， as long as you are having the conversations in good faith， you are putting in the work and making a difference。 Countless times I have been unwilling to call out someone's racism or engage in a meaningful discussion on racism with someone who I know views the world differently from myself。 And when I do， I usually walk away from the conversation frustrated and discouraged。 I tend to rely on facts and statistics and do not leave room for doubt in my opinions。 What Headlee has helped me to realize is that this style can cause the person on the receiving end of my lecture to become defensive and also closes my mind off to becoming more educated。 By finding common ground， understanding why someone views the world the way they do， and explaining one's own opinions in a way that avoids judgment and centers lived experience， we can open up the door for meaningful conversations。 As Headlee cleverly puts it: "debates have changed very few minds， but conversations have the power to change hearts。" Lets go out there and 。。。more
Mark Barnes
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Not just the best anti-racism book I’ve ever read but also one of the best books I’ve read， period。 Headlee Is most likely the smartest person in the room， no matter what room she’s in。 If you’re lucky enough to be in that room， she won’t make you feel less than。 She will just have a conversation with you。 She will ask lots of questions。 And she will listen。 And you will be much better off when the conversation is finished， just as you will be better off when you finish reading this book。 Read i Not just the best anti-racism book I’ve ever read but also one of the best books I’ve read， period。 Headlee Is most likely the smartest person in the room， no matter what room she’s in。 If you’re lucky enough to be in that room， she won’t make you feel less than。 She will just have a conversation with you。 She will ask lots of questions。 And she will listen。 And you will be much better off when the conversation is finished， just as you will be better off when you finish reading this book。 Read it today， talk about it tomorrow。 Live it every day。 。。。more
Jennifer Schultz
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Read if you: Want an honest， relatable， and accessible guide to starting or continuing conversations about race。 If you're looking for easy answers or solutions， you won't find it here。 （Or anywhere else， probably。） But this is a clear and concise read for those that would like some assurance and guidance。 Librarians/booksellers: Definitely purchase if you need more authentic guides about racial issues。 Many thanks to Harper Wave/Harper Business and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchang Read if you: Want an honest， relatable， and accessible guide to starting or continuing conversations about race。 If you're looking for easy answers or solutions， you won't find it here。 （Or anywhere else， probably。） But this is a clear and concise read for those that would like some assurance and guidance。 Librarians/booksellers: Definitely purchase if you need more authentic guides about racial issues。 Many thanks to Harper Wave/Harper Business and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Cari
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