The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person by Frederick Joseph

The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person

by Frederick Joseph

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Society & Culture

If you're white, Frederick Joseph's framing is that much of the change on race starts with you, because white people hold the power. Written for readers 12 to 18, it runs on his own encounters with racism from high school on, including times he wonders how he could have responded.

Core ideas
  • Topic by topic: Each chapter takes one subject, such as cultural appropriation, microaggressions, colorblindness or the myth of reverse racism, and grounds it in his experience.
  • Other voices: Conversations with guests, among them novelist Angie Thomas and sports journalist Jemele Hill, sit inside the chapters.
  • Ally or accomplice: Joseph separates being an ally from being an accomplice in racial justice work, and the back matter adds a glossary and a playlist.
Published2020
Pages272
ISBN9781536217018
ReadFeb 2021

Connected to 5 other books

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