Truthfully, im only on page 74 of this book, and there’s a line in here that is not sitting right with me. The author, a white woman, writes, “our ideals for what Oak Knoll should and could be (inclusive, color-blind, progressive) were holding fast.” …the main two Black teenagers in the book also have the names “Xavier” and “Dashawn” She also writes how Xavier’s mother, a black woman, Valerie used to believe (when she was pregnant with a bi-racial son) the world was becoming post-racial. Being color-blind, should not be a goal. Being color-blind erases the hardship that people of color, Black people especially, experience on the daily. Being color-blind is not the goal of our society, learning from the hardships that poc have historically faced and still do to this day and fixing the institutions that enforce it, needs to be the goal. Also, I find it extremely unlikely that a black woman married to a white man suddenly believes she will be living in a post-racial society. It isn’t sitting right with me that a white woman is writing on experiences of Black people, fictional or not. I believe the author’s intentions were good, and wanting to write a social commentary that they believed was perceptive, but I’m not sure whether or not I will continue to read this book, as I so far do not like the way this author is making these characters out to be. Has anyone read this? What do you think? #pocauthors #blmreadinglist #thereseannefowler #bookstagram #booklr #agoodneighborhood #newtobookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CCu6uEzAePz/?igshid=1vatltw0ejaz3
