Acting White

Acting White: A book in 300 or so words

WORDS BY A SHADES FRIEND

Carbado, D. W., & Gulati, M. (2015). Acting white?: Rethinking race in postracial America. Oxford University Press.

First things first, this is not really a book but a critical thesis on race and equality in the workplace.

It’s central premise is how we all have a working identity but those of us who are in a minority within the working environment work harder, have greater dichotomies and with this additional requirement thrust upon us often compromise ourselves, our true identities or our race in order to fit in.

Although it uses a US legal basis for how it examines the issues of balancing these divergent requirements of self-identity and working identity the situations this creates are actually pertinent to all those who are within a typical working environment this side or the other of the Atlantic.

Whilst exploring and defining a working identity it tries and occasionally fails to hit the mark by resorting to extremes when viable day to day scenarios can and do exist that would perfectly elaborate the point being made – this may be the requirement to not present information on the situation but frame it a legal context rather than fault of the matter covered and for those no fault should be laid at the writers but they could have asked the reader to go the extra mile to assign their own experiences to the subject / dichotomy being shown.

For anyone of colour in a minority at work the examples are not simply theoretical legal cases to be examined but the environment that every day is fought through to obtain the outcome they can most live with a subject the book itself fails to deal with head on or provide solutions other than resorting to legal actions.

I felt my head nodding when points were made and took some solace in the fact that at least the writers had an idea of what it means to be the work minority.

The central premise of our working selves and our identities is and remains a subject highly worthy of exploration, and I devour any material on the subject but this book the ultimate crystallising of it’s point is that – these things happen, the law does not allow protection from them, work out a way that works for you and good luck.