30 Days of Race eBook J A Mitchell
Download As PDF : 30 Days of Race eBook J A Mitchell 
I am . . . It is the answer to a question we ask daily, the question of Identity.
For 30 Days, this book explores an idea that has become pivotal in answering that question. The Idea of Race.
This title explores current race relations and the historical contexts that contribute to the current idea of race.
30 Days of Race eBook J A Mitchell
This book achieves a remarkable balance between education and entertainment. The central premise is fascinating - Mitchell essentially performs "field research" by deciding to approach strangers in the street and strike up a conversation on questions of race such as "do we focus too much on race in this country", "are white people inherently racist", "is there such a thing as race" and "what is to be done about racism". The variety of responses from a variety of ages, races and genders makes compelling reading.Interspersed between these accounts of what strangers have to say to (an obviously personable) young black male stranger are reports of research into questions such as the biological basis of race (there is none), unconscious prejudice and such like. These more academic accounts do not interfere with the fascinating reportage of opinion but rather enhance the reading by providing background science that clarifies the validity of some of the opinions expressed and serves to pose further questions to be answered. The most compelling aspect of this book though is the curiosity it inspires about what the people approached have to say about the subject. Mitchell is extremely deft at drawing pen portraits of his respondents and describing the nature of their encounter in a manner that makes you feel as if you're almost eavesdropping on the interaction.
The only misgivings I have about Mitchell's account is that I suspect that he was somewhat holding himself back in presenting his material - I suspect that there are many more angry and bitter black people than are depicted here, I suspect that there are many more ignorant and malicious white people than are depicted here. This begs the question of whether it is possible for different races to have a truly honest dialogue.
However Mitchell has taken an enormous step in opening up that dialogue in a refreshing and humane manner and it is to his credit as a gentle, non-intrusive interviewer that he got so many surprisingly honest responses from such a diversity of people. Many of his respondents comment that this is the first time they've really talked about such matters, for many readers I'm sure it will be the first time they've really thought about such matters. One thing I noted was that many whites opined that "things are getting better", I don't think any blacks, latinos/hispanics or asians opined a similar sentiment and one thing that comes across to this white reader is how grindingly exhausting it must be for non-whites to be forced to continually evaluate the smallest and largest of their social interactions for what effect their race may have had on it.
I would be fascinated to know what people of different races learned from this book, as there is much to learn for everybody. Buy this book, it will make you think but I promise it won't hurt.
In terms of writing style and professionalism in all aspects of presentation I would rate this as indistinguishable from a traditionally published book.
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30 Days of Race eBook J A Mitchell Reviews
The result of the process is powerful. The reader is invited to consider what is behind each stranger's unique thinking and be astonished at how ranging the concept of race is, and yet how entrenched it is in our minds. Mitchell notes that the opinions and explanations seem to be buried deep in every stranger's reality.
The conversations and the people he spoke with varied. They were a mix of races, ages, genders, and opinions. Mitchell asked them if we focus too much on race in the U.S., what people think about race and dress, or race and international politics, and so on. His project became like a sociological or anthropological study, gathering threads of narratives used to explain the concept of race that arose through natural flows of conversation. The book presents the "Idea of Race" and its social realities like a tangled yarn ball or a wildflower bouquet, with some shriveled and ugly pieces indeed.
Throughout the discussions, Mitchell does not impose his own opinions or analysis, but allows people to think through their own. This allows him to experience a sample of attitudes about and relations to race in the general public. These ideas inform social issues and become the fodder for racial debates that periodically arise in mainstream U.S. news and politics (think immigration, hurricane Katrina, and Don Imus), where racism goes beyond just the interpersonal and rears its head in its institutional and cultural forms.
The reader experiences what Mitchell experiences, including exhaustion at the retelling of racism, frustration at those who deny it, and sadness. Yet the book is also refreshing, as Mitchell experiences human connections and strangers surprise him with moments of insight and humor, such as when a young Cape Verdean woman jokes that the only white people that are not racist (or maybe they just don't show it) are the ones that try to act black.
Mitchell supplements the conversations with research on history, science, and news stories that have shaped our understandings of race. He traces its etymology, reminds us of eugenics, and cites scientific and genetic evidence that shows no consistent biological or genetic basis for race beyond melanin and skin color. Race is a socio-historical construction.
30 Days of Race is a reminder of the countless occurrences and perspectives that have created the idea of race. At times it leaves a broiling in my gut. And it demonstrates how race lives on in individuals and society, as Mitchell writes, like an antiquated virus.
I highly recommend that you get into this book for a fresh take on the social tangle that constitutes race.
I enjoyed it. It's a page turner. Even if you're not interested in the topic, this book deals with it in a mature and realistic way and is a generally good read. It makes you rethink the idea, and for that, I appreciate it. In this modern world, this book carries a message that should be heard. I never heard of it, but was interested by the title, and the description, and I'm glad I took a chance. I would recommend other people give it a chance too, because I think it's worth it.
This book achieves a remarkable balance between education and entertainment. The central premise is fascinating - Mitchell essentially performs "field research" by deciding to approach strangers in the street and strike up a conversation on questions of race such as "do we focus too much on race in this country", "are white people inherently racist", "is there such a thing as race" and "what is to be done about racism". The variety of responses from a variety of ages, races and genders makes compelling reading.
Interspersed between these accounts of what strangers have to say to (an obviously personable) young black male stranger are reports of research into questions such as the biological basis of race (there is none), unconscious prejudice and such like. These more academic accounts do not interfere with the fascinating reportage of opinion but rather enhance the reading by providing background science that clarifies the validity of some of the opinions expressed and serves to pose further questions to be answered. The most compelling aspect of this book though is the curiosity it inspires about what the people approached have to say about the subject. Mitchell is extremely deft at drawing pen portraits of his respondents and describing the nature of their encounter in a manner that makes you feel as if you're almost eavesdropping on the interaction.
The only misgivings I have about Mitchell's account is that I suspect that he was somewhat holding himself back in presenting his material - I suspect that there are many more angry and bitter black people than are depicted here, I suspect that there are many more ignorant and malicious white people than are depicted here. This begs the question of whether it is possible for different races to have a truly honest dialogue.
However Mitchell has taken an enormous step in opening up that dialogue in a refreshing and humane manner and it is to his credit as a gentle, non-intrusive interviewer that he got so many surprisingly honest responses from such a diversity of people. Many of his respondents comment that this is the first time they've really talked about such matters, for many readers I'm sure it will be the first time they've really thought about such matters. One thing I noted was that many whites opined that "things are getting better", I don't think any blacks, latinos/hispanics or asians opined a similar sentiment and one thing that comes across to this white reader is how grindingly exhausting it must be for non-whites to be forced to continually evaluate the smallest and largest of their social interactions for what effect their race may have had on it.
I would be fascinated to know what people of different races learned from this book, as there is much to learn for everybody. Buy this book, it will make you think but I promise it won't hurt.
In terms of writing style and professionalism in all aspects of presentation I would rate this as indistinguishable from a traditionally published book.
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