After reading Natives you know that statistically the majority of violent crime in the UK is white on white, but because we are conditioned to see the world through a lens that filters out whiteness as a race, white on white violence never becomes about race. Before reading you probably knew that the term “black on black crime” was itself perpetuating racism, but you probably couldn’t eloquently explain why. His patient tone and expert use of research combined with his own experiences as a POC helps you unpack these topics. All of this is done seamlessly and makes it so much more memorable and easy to discuss with others.Īkala tackles subjects such as black on black crime and systemic racism within education, amongst many others. As the reader you are guided back and forth between anecdotes and discussions on major historical events and social studies. The best thing about Natives, in my opinion, is how Akala beautifully mixes a traditional memoir with various essays on political and social history in the UK. I was, therefore, delighted when my boyfriend bought me Natives for Christmas! He knew I wanted to read more about the history of race in the UK so he asked a few friends about what they would suggest and this was their first choice. I’d seen this book all over Bookstagram and a few of my friends had also read and recommended it to me so it was definitely on my “to buy next” list.
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