I think at this point we all realize that this idea many millennials have been fed of working really hard, socially climbing, and getting into powerful rooms and important tables to make changes is more or less a pipe dream. It’s not that it isn’t possible, it’s just that it’s not always an effective strategy for real and lasting change. In other words, working to become a decision-maker often isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.
Aside from the inefficiency, there’s also the frustration. While you’re working hard to gain access to elite spaces and the power they bring, other people are allowed to casually walk in the room with a few loud, dumb ideas and thrive. You’re exhausted and out of your comfort zone, while they’re complicit and entitled. This is not a recipe for success. The social pressures of gaining class levels and fitting in to higher education spaces may inadvertently rob you of your authentic voice. The pressure of being “the only one” may even be used to get you to speak out on behalf of communities you don’t even know just so that someone will.
None of this is ideal, and if you think about it, it means that there’s a much more important question to ask than “how do we gain power”. It’s “how do we change power?”, which is what Táíwò asks in this book.
In one small, dense volume (only 5 chapters), he draws on examples from the US, Cape Verde, and Brazil to break down how the politics of identity have been used and misused to reinforce existing power, rather than empower everyone. There’s a lot of discussion of what’s wrong and how it got that way, but fortunately, it doesn’t stop there. There’s also a lot of discussion of what needs to change and some excellent examples of how the commodification of elitism has been called out and tackled head-on in history in several places. How things could change–as in, step by step solution possibilities–is not discussed quite as expansively (although there’s some great info about Flint, Michigan) but I feel like that’s another book entirely–and I hope Táíwò writes it.
The writing starts out pretty dry but picks up the pace quickly once it gets into recounting examples and steps away from foundational theory. Táíwò also stays away from jargon and jingoism and those tired-ass meme racial justice talking points that have taken over the world to make “allies” feel correct, which is a relief. This is real work, not commodification of activism or progressive political and social stances.
Even if you’re not a big non-fiction reader, this book is worth a read if you’re working towards a shift in position, class or access to power–or if you’re uncomfortable with what’s expected of you to maintain the class, position, or access to power that you were bequeathed. At least check out the excerpt of it in Boston Review.
Fuller equity and a better ideological house with good theoretical and practical roommates to Elite Capture.
(Beautiful people! Thanks for reading. I try and balance my political/social non-fiction reviews with plenty of fiction on this site for a variety of reasons, but if you want to see more of my non-fiction recommendations, check out my Ten For The Times booklist. Also check out the other lists on offer in the Equal Opportuity Bookshop. Just remember that if you buy anything there using a link you find here, I earn a commission–which I promptly use to buy more books. Peace! Now, go and read something good!)
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