By Uwagba Otegha
Otegha Uwagba, 2020
This powerful and timely personal essay by best-selling author Otegha Uwagba delves into the complexities of racism, whiteness, and the significant mental labor Black individuals undertake to navigate these issues. Presented as a record of observations during a pivotal historical moment, marked by the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests, the work examines the profound burden of whiteness. Uwagba, describing herself as a 'reluctant expert,' explores the experiences of enduring racism and white attempts at anti-racism, often from the same individuals. It questions how Black people reconcile their understanding of truth with the versions of events tolerated by white society and probes the nature of true allyship.