Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race

The Preface explains the origins of Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race. The book grew out of a blog Eddo-Lodge published in 2014, which is reproduced in its entirety in the Preface. In the blog, Eddo-Lodge expresses frustration with white people who refuse to acknowledge the existence of structural racism in Britain. She claims white people not only assume that racial minorities experience the world in the same way they do but also become defensive when racial imbalances are brought to their attention. People of color are forced to tiptoe around issues of race and racism in front of white people. Moreover, they are asked to prioritize the feelings of white people over their own experiences of injustice. White defiance and denial prompted Eddo-Lodge to disengage, reactions she describes in vivid terms:

You can see their eyes shut down and harden. It’s like treacle is poured into their ears, blocking up their ear canals. It’s like they can no longer hear us […] Their mouths start twitching as they get defensive. Their throats open up as they try to interrupt, itching to talk over you but not really listen, because they need to let you know that you’ve got it wrong (ix-x).

The publication of Eddo-Lodge’s blog had an unintended effect: It sparked more conversations with white people, not fewer. After the blog went viral, Eddo-Lodge found herself engaging a wide range of readers. People of color reached out to thank her for sharing views that articulated their experiences. Many white readers misunderstood the purpose of the blog, assuming it addressed them rather than seeing it as an act of self-preservation by an emotionally exhausted Black woman. The blog also drew attention from the media and the publishing industry, both of which are predominantly white. Despite the emotional toll of engaging with white people and opening herself to online vitriol, Eddo-Lodge now invites conversations about race and racism in publications and interviews. She describes her book as “an attempt to speak” (xvii) and hopes it will serve as a tool for those who seek to combat racism.