Social Action A thought provoking review of the differences between whites and blacks and how certain historical components have impacted thinking about race. ( )

After decades of reporting for the Times, Lena Williams has written an insightful, broad, and personal book about the interactions between white Americans and black Americans that seem minor but stem from larger current issues or bloodier past events. Told largely through anecdotes, with the occasional history lesson or sweeping generalization.

This book is fascinating, not least because it makes it cleaer that there is no One Right Answer to any race-related problem. Williams rightly bemoans the relegation of black teachers to black neighborhoods--but then, if they teach elsewhere and non-black teachers teach the black neighborhoods, you get crazy books like [book: Black students/Middle Class Teachers] and a railing against a lack of suitable role models. There is a disproportionate number of black children in the foster care or adoption systems, and they are permanently adopted at a disproportionately low rate--but should non-black people be allowed to adopt them? To some, it feels disturbingly similar to assimilationist or even culturally genocidal practices of old. Or white people in black establishments--on the one hand, they (unfairly) legitimize it, integrate it, show appreciation for black culture. On the other hand, there's also the history of white people taking and invading black people's spaces and ideas. Williams provides no answers, only the questions.
I wish there were more books like this (I'd love recommendations!), particularly because this one has such a narrow focus and specific time period. ( )

Racial issues and relationships have been on my mind lately, so when I spotted this book I swooped it up. I learned a lot from New York Times reporter Lena William's book about "the little things" that cause daily stresses between blacks and whites. I had no idea that things like white women tossing their hair (not moving out of their face, but hair tossing like Glinda in Wicked) could cause such tension and resentment. I didn't agree with all of the author's opinions but was very impressed with her willingness to openly discuss these issues. ( )

"A Poll in 1990 found that 2 in every 10 African Americans believed that the aids virus was deliberately created in a laboratory in order to infect black people" According to Lena, as a result of this opinion, many blacks refuse to accept data that show the virus spreading at an alarming rate among blacks, and that the information is dismissed as "propaganda". Likewise they deny higher cancer rates, saying that whites are using these statistics to discriminate against blacks, what’s up with that? In my opinion, this is just pure ignorance. Throughout the book I found many arguments that I felt were based purely on ignorance, and I felt that things were often being read into too much, and being twisted into racism which I did not appreciate.
The Author, Lena Williams, is a black woman who writes for the New York Times. This book was actually an expansion of an article entitled “The Little Things” that won an award. Lena herself, overall I found her to be fairly open-minded, and I did enjoy her writing style. However, I was very disappointed to see some of her facts to be just wrong. One of which she implied that Bob Jones University refuses to accept federal money because they do not want to comply with the Affirmative Action laws in their school. The truth is, Christian colleges, or most private colleges do not accept federal money because it is what allows them to teach whatever they want to (such as mandatory chapel or to not allow homosexual clubs on campus) not because they don’t want too many black people!

"Blacks bark at whites and say things that are rude, stereotypical and ignorant, but we don't deprive them of their livelihood or anything that has an ongoing effect on their life or lifestyles" What’s up with that? Who is to say that? For what reason, is it worse when a white person downs a black than when a black downs a white? Because their ancestors were downed and stripped of their rights? What about my Jewish ancestors? What about the Christian ancestors who were persecuted for YEARS? This is the attitude that I hate! If we are trying to become more equal than why are there exceptions or excuses made for this behavior for only SOME of us. It is just as bad, and can affect someone for the rest of their life, regardless of the color of their skin. I was surprised to find that the author, who tells of the discrimination she has experienced in her lifetime, would say that when someone acts based on color that it "doesn't affect you long-term because you’re white".

The one thing that I can say positive about this book, however, is that it has started many conversations between myself and my black friends, and as a result has brought us closer. I’ve been able to ask them, do you really think that? Or, Do I offend you when I say this? For the most part they agree that a lot of these examples are hypersensitivity, or just ignorance. What this book will do is make you think. Make you think twice about what you say or do, and in a positive way it does give some anecdotes to explain peoples train of thought, which may help you better understand their actions. ( )