While I am a firm believer in the importance of Black History being more than just one month and constantly pushing ourselves to explore racism and anti-racist pedagogy year round, I also think it is important to dedicate some time in February and around the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30th) to talk about these issues. I kicked off Black History Month with a very well written and incredibly well researched collection of essays called The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself by David Mura and would highly recommend it!
Here is a little background info about the book:
An unflinching examination of white supremacy in America
David Mura unmasks how white stories about race attempt to erase the brutality of the past and underpin systemic racism in the present
Intertwining history, literature, ethics, and the deeply personal, Mura looks back to foundational narratives of white supremacy (Jefferson’s defense of slavery, Lincoln’s frequently minimized racism, and the establishment of Jim Crow) to show how white identity is based on shared belief in the pernicious myths, false histories, and racially segregated fictions that allow whites to deny their culpability in past atrocities and current inequities. White supremacy always insists white knowledge is superior to Black knowledge, Mura argues, and this belief dismisses the truths embodied in Black narratives.
My Thoughts:
As I previously said, this book is very well written and thoroughly explores all of the issues and ideas shared. Whether you are interested in the history of racism in America, specific examples of discrimination throughout history, or want to explore ideas such as race in fiction writing, this book covers a lot and does it all really well. The subject is heavy (as expected) and there is a tremendous amount of background information, academic concepts and connections between history, philosophy, sociology, literature and politics, to name a few. It is not a quick and easy read, but no anti-racist writing should be. If you want to do the work, this book is just a stepping stone, but it is a good place to start, and I would definitely recommend it.
Perhaps because this book is written as a series of essays, or because the continuum of anti-racism is a complicated and lengthy journey of self-awareness and conscious changes to the way a white person acts and communicates, my reflections on this book are very scattered. I apologize in advance for not writing something very succinct or clear....
White people cannot see Black people because white people cannot let themselves see what they have done to Black people - and thus to see who they, white people, actually are. - Mura, 2023, P. 70
Mura discusses this idea of Black memory and white memory, explaining that while the two are intertwined and mutually exclusive, they still compete and differ, because white memory does not make sense without denying the interconnected history. Mura did an excellent job of giving Black history the spotlight while also bringing in the similarities of racism towards Indigenous people throughout the book, but one section that really stood out to me, was when he discussed worldview and "Settler memory" because if we ignore the fact that Indigenous people still exist, we can pretend the atrocities of our history are no longer relevant. It is books like this one that remind readers that the problems of our past (and the lasting impact on our present and future) don't go away if we pretend they didn't happen, in fact it is essential that we learn about the past in order to work towards reconciliation.
I found the sections on Jefferson quite interesting. I remember watching some documentary at some point, I'm not sure if it was for a university class or like a 20/20 primetime type special (I used to watch those religiously every Friday night), but there were two Jefferson descendants who denied each other's existence. One appeared to be caucasian but identified as Black and the other appeared to be Black but identified as white. My white, 20 ish year old mind had a hard time wrapping itself around these ideas and I was brought back to them through reading this book. Mura explains that there were slaves owned by Jefferson that were his own children he conceived with slaves (one of whom was only 1/4 Black, so the children were only 1/8 Black). My still white, 30ish year old brain can now somewhat wrap itself around this idea but still not entirely, thus is the slow progression along the racism to anti-racism continuum.
Mura also explored other presidents and the connection they had to racism and societal change. I still can't fully grasp how Trump was able to be elected, especially right after Obama... but Mura (2023) explained that this was likely in part because the election of Obama "... prompted a resurgence of white grievance and a series of actions and policies ... designed to thwart the growing demographic power of people of color and to more firmly establish a threatened white dominance by whatever means could be devised" (p. 150). All progress Obama made was met by racial regression, as is often the case when we go from one extreme to another in government. Mura also shared information on Lincoln and how he is seen by many as a huge positive marker in the emancipation of slaves, yet he was still quoted as being racist. Reminding us that just because someone goes against the current and makes change, they are still a product of their time period.
Finally, I found the section on white vs Black fiction authors really thought-provoking. Mura explained the difference in how characters are written or described and the assumptions made by readers based on these descriptions, with numerous, fully formed examples. This is just another example of the subconscious thoughts white privilege carries, and the importance of consciously unpacking one's own implicit and explicit biases.
As I have said above, this post reflects my own journey towards becoming an anti-racist, which is always evolving and progressing. It is messy but so important. I hope that Black History Month can be an opportunity for you to also grow!
Thanks to Angelle at Books Forward for giving me the chance to read and review this book, as well as participate in this book tour!
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Author: David Mura
David Mura is an essayist, memoirist, poet and fiction writer who brings a unique perspective to our multi-racial and multi-cultural society. A third-generation Japanese-American, he has written intimately about his life as a man of color and the connections between race, culture and history. In public appearances interweaving poetry, performance and personal testament, he provides powerful insights into the racial issues facing America today.
Mura's memoirs, poems, essays, plays and performances have won wide critical praise and numerous awards. Their topics range from contemporary Japan to the legacy of the internment camps and the history of Japanese Americans to critical explorations of an increasingly diverse America. He gives presentations at educational institutions, businesses and other organizations throughout the country. You can find him at his website: http://www.davidmura.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/muradavid/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/MuraDavid Bookshop - https://bookshop.org/books/the-stories-whiteness-tells-itself/9781517914547
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Stories-Whiteness-Tells-Itself/dp/151791454X
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60825847-the-stories-whiteness-tells-itself