Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man

“Learn how to move beyond being not racist, to being antiracist.” 

Acho stresses that White action is necessary to combat racism. The time for passivity has passed. To this end, he concludes every chapter with a section titled, “Talk It, Walk It,” which provides strategies and resources to help White people become active allies in the fight for racial justice.

“If black people can’t decide which term to use, then how and why should white people be expected to know which term to use?” 

One important problem White people encounter when discussing race is terminology: Fear of being racist, or being perceived as such, prevents many White people from asking questions about how to refer to people of color and ethnic minorities. As Acho observes, the term African American (with or without a hyphen) is problematic because it differentiates Black people as a subset of the American population. The term also connects all Black people to the vast and diverse continent of Africa, rather than to their specific country of origin or heritage. He recommends using the term Black because it includes people from various parts of the African diaspora, including the US, Brazil, the Caribbean, and Mexico.

“Well informed. We’ve all got to be as well informed as we can be.” 

Education plays a crucial role in the fight for racial equality. Acho urges readers to educate themselves and others and provides resources in the main body of the text to support this effort, including books, articles, and websites.