She’s particularly concerned with systemic racism in the U.S.

One of Oluo’s central concerns is systemic racism, which is racism that’s embedded into the way a society runs. A hallmark of Oluo’s writing is use of personal anecdotes-typically about racially charged situations in her day-to-day life-which she leverages to expose deeper, systemic problems with racism in U.S. The book garnered significant acclaim-notably from The New York Times, Bustle, and Harper’s Bazaar-for its no-holds-barred approach to racism. So You Want to Talk about Race was published in 2018. Oluo was initially reluctant to take on the emotional labor of a large-scale project about painful topics like racial slurs and police brutality when publishers offered her a book contract, but she agreed to do so after support for the project poured in from people of color on social media. She is an outspoken critic of racism and sexism in mainstream publishing, particularly when it comes to the erasure of the black female voice. Oluo’s rising social media profile caught the attention of several mainstream media outlets, and she began writing articles for publications including The Guardian, The Stranger, Jezebel, and Medium. She garnered notoriety on both Twitter and Facebook for her unapologetic views on racial injustice in the United States.

After the death of Tamir Rice-a 12-year-old black boy (the same age as Oluo’s own son) who was shot and killed by police in 2014 while playing with a toy gun-Oluo began writing about racism on her blog. She subsequently worked in technology and digital marketing while running a food blog on the side from Seattle, Washington. Oluo put herself through university as a divorced single mother, graduating with a degree in political science from Western Washington University at the age of 27. Many of her childhood memories center on her experiences with poverty and racism. Oluo describes growing up poor in the United States, often living without access to electricity or water and suffering from food insecurity. Oluo’s book, So You Want to Talk about Race, addresses many aspects of her childhood and upbringing. Ijeoma Oluo-who identifies as a black, queer woman-was born to a black father from Nigeria and a white mother.

Book so you want to talk about race