Content Warning: This section references the use of “the n-word” and other racial slurs, as well as racism broadly.

The book demonstrates the systemic inequities and privilege linked to race in various contexts: education, criminal justice, politics, family, religion, and the economy. The interviewees also discuss various types of privilege, such as white privilege, light-skinned privilege, class privilege, and gender privilege. Inequities and privilege coexist in a society that supports some groups over others, making the recognition of both central to the book’s project.

For example, many interviewees discuss the racism in the educational system, including the continuing issue of school segregation, which contributes to educational inequities. In fact, the authors wrote the book because of their lack of education about race in school. In other words, racism in schools is not merely a question of overt prejudice but also of omission—i.e., the absence of discussion about racism’s reality. Family can be a forum for discussing such issues, but it can also reinforce societal ideas about race or identity, either explicitly or by ignoring them. For instance, Jennifer L.’s Asian American family was racist toward Black people, and some interviewees faced rejection from their families for being too light-skinned.