TO LIVE WOKE

A Black college professor’s take on contemporary issues relating to racism and other forms of inequality in America.

North Carolina State University psychology professor Nacoste’s course Interdependence and Race has become a mainstay on campus that “shows people how to understand and analyze what is going on in their everyday interpersonal interactions in these difficult days of bold prejudice and bigotry.” The author takes an intersectional approach to “neo-diversity” that emphasizes race, religion, sex, gender, ethnicity, bodily condition, class, and other forms of group consciousness. His approach avoids the pitfalls of academic jargon and “calling people out,” opting for a down-to-earth style that seeks to help people “engage in authentic social interactions” without fear. In more than 40 concise chapters, Nacoste takes on a range of hot-button issues, including “colorblindness,” the Confederate flag, Islamophobia, racially insensitive “jokes,” and anti-transgender “bathroom bills.” In a move that may surprise some readers, he also challenges the efficacy of emphasizing White privilege, a term that he suggests often prevents productive dialogue. Overall, this book serves as a go-to text for those seeking quick, yet thoughtful, takes on issues of social justice and identity, such as “Nine Tips To Help You Live Woke” in daily interactions. The chapter formats vary to avoid repetitiveness; some are simple essays or posts from his popular Psychology Today blog while others reprint tweets and email correspondence between the author and his students. In one particularly powerful chapter, Nacoste tells the story of his own experiences with racism as a child in Jim Crow–era Louisiana. This essay points to the lasting historical legacies of segregation, disenfranchisement, and other forms of state-sanctioned discrimination but also contains a poignant description of his parents’legacy of hope for a more just nation. Some may take issue with this book’s take on White privilege, but it still provides essential and accessible guidance.

A timely, practical primer on wokeness.