Book Review: The Power of Privilege - How White People can Challenge Racism by June Sarpong

The death of George Floyd and subsequent Black Lives Matter protests have made clear to everyone the vicious reality of racism that persists today. Many of those privileged enough to be distanced from racism are now having to come to terms with the fact that they continue to prosper at the detriment of others. Having spent the last four years researching, writing, and speaking about the benefits of diversity for society, June Sarpong is no stranger to educating and challenging those that have been enjoying the benefits of a system steeped in systemic racism without realising its true cost. In The Power of Privilege, June will empower those fortunate enough not to be 'otherised' by mainstream Western society to become effective allies against racism, both by understanding the roots of their privilege and the systemic societal inequities that perpetuates it. The Power of Privilege offers practical steps and action-driven solutions so that those who have been afforded privilege can begin undoing the limiting beliefs held by society, and help build a fairer future for all.

Yes! This is the book that I've been waiting for. This is a short and extremely practical guide to challenging racism in all its forms. Unlike Emma Dabiri's "What White People Can Do Next", Sarpong's book gives a dozen concrete actions that people can take to slowly make the world a better place.

What's remarkable is just how focussed this book is - and that's reflected in the price (£3 on Kindle). There aren't long padded-out passages about her childhood - just a couple of "this happened, this is how it made me feel, this is what I did" anecdotes. It also isn't bogged down in endless academic citations and definitions.

Basically, it's the perfect book for the busy (PSM) executive on the go!

Much like Afua Hirsch's "Brit(ish)", this mostly focuses on the UK experience of racism. American cultural hegemony casts a long shadow though. So some of the book is viewed through the recent trauma stateside. I would have preferred more of look at UK statistics - there are some, but feels like the US gets the spotlight.

I'm (reluctantly) dropping half a star because the eBook version is very poorly formatted. Some of the footnotes don't work, there's the occasional missing letter from the start of paragraphs, and a few hard-hyphens. It doesn't detract from the message of the book - but makes for a slightly frustrating reading experience.

A perfect read for a book club, and cheap enough for your office to buy a copies for everyone.