Straddling White and Black Worlds: How Interpersonal Interactions with Young Black People Forever Altered a White Man's Understanding of Race

How does a white man understand what it's like to be Black? How can he start to form a sense of racial consciousness, and take action for racial justice?

For Dr Paul Reck PhD, an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Ramapo College, this journey was sparked and informed by the interactions and relationships he has, and has had, with his Black godchildren and Black students he has taught. To use one's privilege for the benefit of those less privileged means first understanding that privilege and the needs of those you are trying to help: this honest and reflective autoethnography recounts Reck's developing sense of racial consciousness from his childhood through to his work as a university professor.

Ideal reading for students of Black Studies or African-American Studies and similar courses, this book will be of interest to anyone who is beginning to explore how to de-centre their own whiteness in their understanding of race.