'Taking Up Space' is a book about what it is like to be a black girl at university, particularly Oxbridge universities. Chelsea Kwakye and Ore Orgunbiyi both went to Cambridge, and wrote this book as a guide to black girls going to university to feel "empowered, comforted and validated" and for everyone else reading this book to show that overcoming racism in university institutions (as well as all around us) is a collective effort.
This book was incredibly insightful and eye-opening. The book covers a range of topics from getting into university, the predominant whiteness at university, mental health, finding a space where you can feel accepted, desirability and relations as well as "Blacktivism". From everyday microaggressions to more obvious racist actions this book taught me so much that I had never even thought about because of my privilege as a white person, I have never had to face these issues before. The book helped me to understand how I can be a better ally to people of colour and to better understand systemic racism that has been overlooked for too long. The book shares resources and the experiences of the authors and the contributors (people interviewed and asked about topics relating to each chapter) to the book.
This book explains why more representation of people of colour is needed, because the world is not just white, and why we need to learn about the oppression and effects of colonialism in our past. I also learnt about how the mental health of black women is affected daily and that looking after mental health is so important and checking in on others to make sure they're ok if you haven't seen them in a few days, as well as how to be an activist and learn about systemic racism in institutions, and so much more!
I really recommend this book, especially to other university students or those about to go to university. This book can teach you so much about how you can help overcome racism and how to help people of colour as a white person, by better understanding that racism affects their everyday lives. For black girls this book was made to offer support and show you what university will be like, as well as to empower you.
Comments
Post a Comment