Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man
Emmanuel Acho
“You cannot fix a problem you do not know you have. ” So begins Emmanuel Acho in his essential guide to the truths Americans need to know to address the systemic racism that has recently electrified protests in all fifty states. “There is a fix,” Acho says. more
256 pages, Hardcover
First published Flatiron Books: An Oprah Book
4.39
Rating
26081
Ratings
3043
Reviews
Emmanuel Acho
5 books 293 followers
Emmanuel Chinedum Acho is a Nigerian-American former linebacker who played in the National Football League and is currently working as an analyst for Fox Sports 1. He played college football at Texas before being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.Community reviews
"For all of you who lack an honest black friend in your life, consider me that friend. My arms are open wide, friends. My heart, too. "With these words, Emmanuel Acho invites us to the table, invites white people to pull up a chair and join the conversation about race and racism, knowing we won't get anywhere until we have these uncomfortable conversations. Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man is Racism 101 and can be read alongside other beginners such as So You Want to Talk About Race and White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, especially if you find yourself bristling or getting defensive when it comes to talk about race and racism. more
I think this book is a really wonderful resource for those who have just begun doing the work. I would be comfortable recommending this to my family members who don’t understand why they can’t sing the n word in songs, who disagree with the concept of cultural appropriation, and who firmly believe in reverse racism. I think that if anyone went into this book with an open mind (which I assume they have if they’ve picked it up to begin with) they’ll walk away with a firmer understanding of these issues and many more. Now if you’ve already been educating yourself on systemic racism and have listened to podcasts, read books, and watched the many documentaries, I would call this book a refresher. You likely aren’t going to learn anything you didn’t already know. more
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum. blogspot. com/ If we can truly integrate white people and black people together, working in tandem, that’s when our world will make its joyful noise. My non-reading husband was actually the one to turn me on to this title last week when it was released. Unfortunately for him, the wait list for the hard copy is about eleventy trillion long, but yay me I got first dibs on the Kindle version : ) He has settled for watching the videos (on You Tube. more
4 stars Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man is a book I would recommend to anyone looking for answers on the topic of race. Listening to Emmanuel Acho talk felt like talking to a friend. I think this would specifically be great for people who are new to this topic and want more education. Not a lot of this information was new for me, but I still found it informative and necessary. Audio book source: Libby (library borrow)Story Rating: 4 starsNarrators: Emmanuel Acho Narration Rating: 4. more
I want to preface this by saying I completely support the initiatives that Acho advocates for, but the quality of the writing made the book that much harder to read. I felt the need to write a review because I was hoping to read this book to gain some insight on the complexity of racism, but I was disappointed when the book's villain was virtually just white people. something we've all heard before. I'm not white and even I felt the conviction of white people in this book is strong. I think any sensible person would agree that white people are not the sole problem to racism (against any person of color) in America today and a majority of white people are not overtly racist, despite their "privilege". more
Emmanuel Acho takes on questions about cultural appropriation, white privilege, and more in Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man. Despite being a big sports fan, I only recently heard of Emmanuel Acho this summer when he began releasing his video series (same title as this book) following the murder of George Floyd. “The thing is, one can never just judge racism on an individual level alone. It’s also historic and systemic — remember, white people will always have that several-century head start. ”“While you’re out there living your life every day, pay attention to how many times you hear something being touted as the first black X and how long it took for that thing to happen. more
I came to this book after having watched some of the titular videos on YouTube. They were interesting, but not as pointed as this work. Let me be clear from the outset: Emmanuel Acho is wrong. Dead wrong. Loud wrong. more
I wish every non poc person would read and absorb this book. “If things go the way I want, you will leave this book with an increased understanding of race. You will have more empathy and grant people more grace. And if you have more empathy and are more gracious, then you’ll be less judgmental. And if you’re less judgmental, then your judgment is less likely to play itself out in racism. more
December 10, 2020 Review:I finally got my hands on the audiobook and it was just as good as I thought it'd be. I was a bit worried that the book would simply rehash all the conversations from Emmanuel Acho's YouTube series. While there was some overlap, Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man was written to compliment (or serve as an addendum of sorts) to the video series (but don't worry - you don't need to watch any of the videos before reading the book. ). This book is aimed primarily at a white audience (which I am not really) but I still really enjoyed it as it offered more insight into what it means to be Black in America and how to be a better ally to those in the Black community. more
Emmanuel Acho wrote this for the white folks he knows and I'm not mad at it one bit. It is the most comprehensive, non-scholarly but doesn't need to be scholarly, look into why and how white people can cut the fuckshit on this racism garbage. Anyone who says they can't learn something out this book is a damn liar. Maybe you won't like the way that he explains things, I think he did a phenomenal job. He sets the scene currently, takes you back in time, makes you get uncomfortable (not me, as a Black person, we been through these conversations, ad naseum) and then he makes a suggestion on how we can all do better. more
I heard Acho interviewed by Brene Brown and decided to read his book as a follow-up. I've read a number of books detailing our continuing battle to truly become "one race, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all" (yes I changed those words on purpose), and have often learned something or been reminded of why what I do matters. Much of what Acho shares are things covered in those previous books, but where many of them are more "academic" in nature, filled with historical references, definitions, and complex concepts, Acho's is more like his title--a conversation--written in a conversational style, in simple, everyday language. As such, it may be more accessible to those who don't want to read from a textbook. He shares perceptions about black culture and how it differs from others, including some "do's" and "dont's". more
*Thank you to the publisher for the review copy*I think this book would be the perfect starting place for someone wanting to read more anti-racism books or who have questions they need answered about anti-racism. It does a good job of answering some of the questions people have asked him (or want to as Black people generally). I think the straightforward layout of question and answer worked well. It is a bit basic, so I wouldn’t say it is a deeper dive into all of the themes, but it does what it promises, and it is does it in a readable way. I raced through this book in a single day because it was really that readable. more
In Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, Emmanuel Acho puts himself in the ongoing bid to build a bridge in race relations. Acho is a very young, educated, professional football player who has parlayed his successes into a promising sports broadcasting career. He is also socially conscious and wants to try to broaden the conversation about race. His background is a middle class "Black" (as opposed to African American, his preference…mine too) American kid whose parents were of Nigerian descent. Acho marks a new generation of writers. more
Another great read for my local book club. I'd never heard of Emmanuel Acho, but he was a compelling narrator. goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog. more
Good intentions, horrible executions. There's really no way around it. This book was trying to include white people in 'the conversation' while simultaneously showing the ways in which they need to be better. And it failed. Miserably. more
As someone who reads quite a lot of books on the topic of race, anti-racism, white privilege, etc, this wasn't really anything new for me, but that doesn't make it a bad book. This is the kind of book that covers a lot of ground, but not in intricate detail. And sometimes wasn't even entirely accurate - the 1928 "one drop" rule and the 1662 law determining that the children of an enslaved woman would continue to be enslaved according to the condition of the mother were two different things. Still, it gets enough of the point across, and provides enough information to perhaps enable someone to start thinking a little bit more critically about race relations and Black experience in the US, and the history of how we got here. There are a LOT of factors that go into that experience, and so it takes many forms, but regardless of the various levels of success or privilege, being Black in the US is not going to be the same experience as being white in the US. more
". the longest-lasting pandemic in this country is a virus not of the body but of the mind, and it's called racism. "This is a great beginner book for people who are just starting to ask questions about racism in America or have finally come to terms with their own long-held racist views and are ready to do the work to eradicate them. Each chapter begins with a question concerning race that Emmanual Acho received from a white person (e. g. more
Emmanuel Acho’s book is full of the same rhetoric as other books I’ve read. His Instagram series was much better. There were hints in the Insta videos, but this book is full blown Critical Race Theory and identity politics. He had some good statements and recognitions, thus the 2 stars, whereas other books I’ve read in this genre received 1 star. His style is conversational and not militant like other books I’ve read. more
This book is best suited as an introduction to topics of race, class, and equity for those white folks who have ignored the conversation for much of their lives. Acho frames each chapter around a question, mixing in personal experience with a quick overview of historical context and the contemporary moment before moving to the action items. He cites and references a number of veteran authors in the space and plugs key resources to check out afterwards. This is an excellent gift for a white friend or acquaintance who asks basic or misguided questions about race. Considerable historical context is missing, but that isn't really the central point. more
a strong and very straightforward book. review to come. more
This book should be retitled “Tedious Monologues by a Nigerian-American”. It was part of my book club's selection. The book’s main quality is that it details some concepts that originated in Critical Race Theory without the jargon, which has the admirable effect of exposing their vacuity. It also explains some of the historical injustices against African-Americans and their continuing effects, although invariably the author manages to stretch a good argument beyond the breaking point. Slavery and Jim Crow certainly do explain a number of the problems that African-Americans have to deal with even now, but they hardly explain all those issues. more
I have been clueless. I thought I knew, thought I understood. I knew nothing, understood less. This was an eye opening, no heart opening read. It touches of some basic racial inequalities and looks at cultural histories. more
I learned so much about the history of racism in America from Emmanuel Acho. I especially love how each chapter in this book is split into the history of the topic, how it affects our society, and then what you can do and recommended reading for further learning about that specific topic. Some chapters I found especially interesting, including: using the terms “Black” or “African American;” what systems are racist. ; and how to find and get rid of your implicit biases. Acho approaches these topics with such care and understanding. more
This was SO good. It's a necessary read and was sectioned in a cohesive way. Acho did a wonderful job putting things/topics ingti perspective and I appreciated all the resources provided at the end of each chapter. It's a great way to keep readers going in learning how to be an ally. more
I think this is a great book for white people (and even some non-Black POC) to read if they have a lot of questions about anti-Black racism and are new to unlearning their anti-Black biases. Very engaging and accessible. . more
I've got a few thoughts on this. It is anti-racism 101. It's good for the beginner who wants to have conversations around race but may not have the language to engage. There has been a spate of books published around anti-racism and I'm sure that some find those works more rigorous and so uncomfortable that they(the rigorous academic texts)are easily cast aside, and thus no progress is made. Here, Emmanuel Acho makes the potential conversation so accessible that even the thickest headed could understand even if they ultimately disagree. more
It’s not that uncomfortable. It’s like a talk amongst friends with caring and compassion. A very conversational and practical. more
A necessary read for everyone and anyone . more
Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man is written by a Black man answering white people's questions about race-related issues. Each chapter opens up with a question that was submitted to Mr. Acho by a curious white person who wants more information about something related to racism or cultural appropriation. *Should I teach my kids to see color. *How can I have white privilege if I'm not wealthy. more
"Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man" is accessible, friendly, and necessary. It's condemning inherited privilege while also managing to be nonjudgemental — the perfect combination for getting past white fragility and opening a few more eyes. I believe this should be required reading for all, and plan to introduce the children's version ("Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy") to my children so that they can get an early start on racial awareness. Acho provides a good primer in a non-intimidating format — especially ideal for those new to race discussions — and covers individual, systemic, and internalized racism. . more