Mediocre ★★★★☆

Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America (Click Here To Buy)

★★★★☆

Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo is a non-fiction book about the history of white male America in the last century.

I read this as an audiobook read by the author on loan from the library.

Oluo discusses specific moments throughout history that show how white men have exercised their power as a way to remain dominant regardless of skill.

From buffalo being hunted as a way to take over indigenous lands to the origin story of the NFL, Oluo highlights the pattern of injustices stemming from white male mediocrity while interlacing current events as well as her own personal history. I have read other American histories that focus on various minority cultures, but this is the first I have read that looks at the dominant culture of white masculinity in this light.

White male supremacy harms everyone and it is through this understanding of where we come from that all white people, including myself, need to acknowledge the pain that has been caused to minorities and people of color so that we can move forward in a more fair and less harmful manner. As Amanda Gorman said, “Being American is more than a pride we inherit – it's the past we step into and how we repair it.”

I have also read So You Want To Talk About Race by this author and I highly recommend it.

If you liked Mediocre, I also recommend Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Just Us by Claudia Rankine, and Caste by Isabel Wilkerson.

#happyreading

-Ms.Bjork