Mediocre by Ijeoma Oluo

“Lord, give me the confidence of a mediocre white man.” That phrase, coined by writer Sarah Hagi in 2015, elicited millions of flickers of recognition and launched a million tote bags. The author untangles that charged irony in this book, along with its perilous implications for all of us. This is in some ways So You Want To Talk About Race, The Sequel. She is an author who doesn't mince words and takes on the tough subjects straight on. She reveals the levers and pulleys of systemic racism in America. As she outlines vividly in each book, “White supremacy is, and always has been, a pyramid scheme.” The difference between the her first book and this one is in the showing and telling. The first book told, pretty literally, how people could through navigating thorny conversations about race. Mediocre shows what the back story to how we ended up here. She lays out a sweeping cultural history of white men failing upward, from education to sports to politics. Each chapter showcases a moment in history and a contemporary parallel. If you’re thinking you’ve heard this before — see slavery to mass incarceration — think again. The author excavates episodes even the most dutiful student of history may have missed, and pieces them together for you.