What do you think?
Rate this book
The Clapback: Your Guide to Calling out Racist Stereotypes
[Noun / Verb] Responding to a (often ignorant) notion with a withering comeback; with the aim of shutting. it. down.
___________
In order to have an honest and open conversation about race, we need to identify areas where things are not right. The Your Guide to Calling Out Racist Stereotypes examines the evolution of the negative stereotypes towards the black community and arms you with the tools to shut them down once and for all. Taking readers on a journey through history, and providing facts and detailed research, this is an eye-opening and refreshing look at race and language. With a light-hearted, razor sharp wit and a refreshing honesty, The Clapback is the handbook the world needs - dishing out the hard truths and providing a road map for bringing some 'act right' into our everyday lives. It's time to Clapback.
___________
In order to have an honest and open conversation about race, we need to identify areas where things are not right. The Your Guide to Calling Out Racist Stereotypes examines the evolution of the negative stereotypes towards the black community and arms you with the tools to shut them down once and for all. Taking readers on a journey through history, and providing facts and detailed research, this is an eye-opening and refreshing look at race and language. With a light-hearted, razor sharp wit and a refreshing honesty, The Clapback is the handbook the world needs - dishing out the hard truths and providing a road map for bringing some 'act right' into our everyday lives. It's time to Clapback.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published June 20, 2019
25 people are currently reading
1067 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 14, 2019
This book was an informative, hilarious, empathetic and heartbreaking roadmap to dismantling racist stereotypes and being a better ally for people of color. Lawal illustrates the illogical and factually inaccurate aspects of racism through personal stories and statistics, and shows how stereotypes which might be seen as 'mildly offensive' are actually deeply damaging in terms of the pain and exhaustion they inflict on black people who are continually required to justify their own existence, and through the perpetuating of systems and institutions which marginalize anyone who isn't white. It's like having a friend explain to you why it's important to speak up and not just roll your eyes when your aunt says something racist at Christmas, and even gives you some ideas of what to say so that you can hopefully get through to her without anyone crying into their mashed potatoes. Please please please read this book, buy it for everyone who has a birthday this year, leave copies of it in your doctor's waiting room, whatever you have to do to get the word out.
July 24, 2020
I would give this book 6 stars if I could. An incredibly topical read on the current systemic issues surrounding racism.
The point of view is clearly from the writer itself, as many stories start with a personal experience of racism which is then brought back to a greater historical context. I found that it made the book very personable yet insightful, like having a very uncomfortable yet important conversation with a dear friend.
It also helps that the writer happens to be incredibly funny. If you're a fan of banter footnotes*, you'll like this book.
*which, to clarify, I am.
The point of view is clearly from the writer itself, as many stories start with a personal experience of racism which is then brought back to a greater historical context. I found that it made the book very personable yet insightful, like having a very uncomfortable yet important conversation with a dear friend.
It also helps that the writer happens to be incredibly funny. If you're a fan of banter footnotes*, you'll like this book.
*which, to clarify, I am.
July 3, 2019
Fascinating, witty, well researched, essential. A definite must read.
February 23, 2021
Adored this book. There was so much information to take in on topics I thought I already knew about. The history behind words, attitudes and cultures was so in depth but easy to understand. This is a must read.
February 2, 2021
I annotated the ever-living crap out of this. This book should be required reading for everyone!
June 15, 2020
Elijah delivered a vast amount of vital information that was to the point. I feel like how he laid everything out, I can easily refer back to statistics and historical events to Clapback when I hear a racial stereotype. He added snippets of humor to a humorless topic, and he provided statistics that are relative to the United States and the United Kingdom. I know that I will refer back to this book a lot. It also provided me with many things to research further. I have already recommended this book to groups and friends. Any ally to black lives needs to read this book, and share it with family and friends. Education is crucial in fighting the ignorance of racism!
July 17, 2021
Well worth reading.
July 16, 2020
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I’m more of a fictional-novel-style fan, so this isn’t one that I would have picked for myself, if it weren’t chosen by my book club. The author has clearly done his research and goes through the gamut citing various historical instances supporting his arguments. I learned quite a bit.
That being said, my issue is more with the MANY things that should have been caught in editing, regarding clarity and fact-checking, for instance:
-The author references ‘slaves imported from India during British rule’ (p.149). They were not slaves, they were indentured contract workers. Although indenture system has been compared to slavery, they were free (upon completion of their contract, usually 7 years) and compensated.
-The author cites people of ‘Guyanan’ heritage (p.5). I presume he means people from the country of Guyana? Which would be people of ‘Guyanese’ heritage.
-In the chapter on sexual stereotypes, he says, ‘this has led to men going to extreme lengths to try to increase the size of their penis. Indian mystics known as Sadhus have been known to stretch their penis from an early age by hanging weights on it…’ (p.61). This is very misleading. Yes, Naga Sadhus do hang weights on their penis (which may have the unintended effect of elongating the penis, I guess?), but this is done as part of their strict spiritual ascetic conditioning. This is not done with the intent to lengthen and increase the size of the penis, nor to make them more desirable for sexual practice, as the context of the paragraph and chapter suggests.
-This book is also HEAVILY skewed in focusing on the US historical impact on racist stereotypes – sometimes to its detriment, in my opinion. For instance, when discussing perceptions regarding food, he focuses on how food stereotypes were perpetuated in the US, while citing a host of ‘Afro Caribbean dishes’ (p.72). Despite referencing these dishes, he does not talk much about them. I felt he missed the opportunity to discuss how the Afro presence in the Caribbean has shaped the foodscape of the region. And how these foods promote ideas of national and regional inclusion (i.e. ox tail is not just seen as an Afro Caribbean dish, but a Caribbean dish), which could have been used by the author as a counter-narrative to the negative stereotypes perpetuated in the US.
Like I said, I very much enjoyed the book. However, I suggest if you are interested in a particular point the author makes, do some independent research to get the entire story.
Because I have personal knowledge of the above points, it does make me wonder what else could/should have been clarified in the book, and raises the question why it wasn't?
-Someone of ‘Guyanan’ indentured Caribbean heritage
That being said, my issue is more with the MANY things that should have been caught in editing, regarding clarity and fact-checking, for instance:
-The author references ‘slaves imported from India during British rule’ (p.149). They were not slaves, they were indentured contract workers. Although indenture system has been compared to slavery, they were free (upon completion of their contract, usually 7 years) and compensated.
-The author cites people of ‘Guyanan’ heritage (p.5). I presume he means people from the country of Guyana? Which would be people of ‘Guyanese’ heritage.
-In the chapter on sexual stereotypes, he says, ‘this has led to men going to extreme lengths to try to increase the size of their penis. Indian mystics known as Sadhus have been known to stretch their penis from an early age by hanging weights on it…’ (p.61). This is very misleading. Yes, Naga Sadhus do hang weights on their penis (which may have the unintended effect of elongating the penis, I guess?), but this is done as part of their strict spiritual ascetic conditioning. This is not done with the intent to lengthen and increase the size of the penis, nor to make them more desirable for sexual practice, as the context of the paragraph and chapter suggests.
-This book is also HEAVILY skewed in focusing on the US historical impact on racist stereotypes – sometimes to its detriment, in my opinion. For instance, when discussing perceptions regarding food, he focuses on how food stereotypes were perpetuated in the US, while citing a host of ‘Afro Caribbean dishes’ (p.72). Despite referencing these dishes, he does not talk much about them. I felt he missed the opportunity to discuss how the Afro presence in the Caribbean has shaped the foodscape of the region. And how these foods promote ideas of national and regional inclusion (i.e. ox tail is not just seen as an Afro Caribbean dish, but a Caribbean dish), which could have been used by the author as a counter-narrative to the negative stereotypes perpetuated in the US.
Like I said, I very much enjoyed the book. However, I suggest if you are interested in a particular point the author makes, do some independent research to get the entire story.
Because I have personal knowledge of the above points, it does make me wonder what else could/should have been clarified in the book, and raises the question why it wasn't?
-Someone of ‘Guyanan’ indentured Caribbean heritage
January 29, 2021
In The Clapback Elijah Lawal spells out a number of common racist stereotypes, examines their history and explains in no uncertain terms why they are so problematic. He uses real life examples to make his points, highlighting incidents and research in both the UK and America. Often he has a story to tell from his own experience to illustrate his points. By making it personal, this really brings home not just the hatefulness and idiocy of such opinions and prejudices, but also the harm they do.
He also tackles the far harder and more insidious problem of our unconscious bias - something we all have and should always try to be aware of.
Despite the serious and frequently rage-inducing subject matter, it is a witty and engaging read, as well as being extremely illuminating. Although constantly having to explain this stuff to white people must be intensely frustrating, he never comes across as lecturing and you never feel like you are being judged. Instead it's like having a conversation with a mate where he puts you right about stuff you can never fully understand, never having had to live in his shoes.
I've read a couple of books around this subject over the last couple of years and in my opinion this is one of the most accessible. Elijah Lawal is an entertaining guide who succeeds in his intention to arm us with arguments against these harmful and foul stereotypes.
He also tackles the far harder and more insidious problem of our unconscious bias - something we all have and should always try to be aware of.
Despite the serious and frequently rage-inducing subject matter, it is a witty and engaging read, as well as being extremely illuminating. Although constantly having to explain this stuff to white people must be intensely frustrating, he never comes across as lecturing and you never feel like you are being judged. Instead it's like having a conversation with a mate where he puts you right about stuff you can never fully understand, never having had to live in his shoes.
I've read a couple of books around this subject over the last couple of years and in my opinion this is one of the most accessible. Elijah Lawal is an entertaining guide who succeeds in his intention to arm us with arguments against these harmful and foul stereotypes.
April 11, 2021
"White privilege doesn't mean a white person's life hasn't been hard; it means that your skin color isn't one of the things making it harder."
maybe-to-read
November 12, 2021***who sucked me in***
Emma of Drinking By My Shelf in their Nonfiction I actually liked | Drinking By My Shelf video published on 12 nov. 2021
She talked about the stereotype of the aggressive black man and how that's easy to see why that's harmful but why the stereotype of black people being better dancers are a lot more insidious.
Which felt weird because I just had an conversation about that the other week with an colleague. That conversation wasn't at all negative so that was refreshing but I have had the same conversations that felt vaguely racist and I contributed to that. But I don't always know how or why.
So maybe a book like this can help with that. But I'm always hesitant with these kind of 'anti-racist' books. Maybe because I don't think you can actually learn how not to be a dickhead from a book, maybe because the kind of people who read these books are already trying to be better, or maybe because it doesn't feel like I'm the target audience.
As a child from two cultures and people with 2 different skin tones/genetic pool navigating in a world where the feeling of being 'just dark enough to get the diversity box' or 'not dark enough to get all of the same outright dumbassery', is strange and confusing and sometimes you bend your core because that's easier.
I'm a big fan of having standard sentences to use in certain situations. But it took a long time to find sentences that worked for me.
Maybe a book like this can teach me some new ways to clap back so I don't have to bend my core for anyone ever again. But that's a tall order, so maybe I won't read it at all.
Emma of Drinking By My Shelf in their Nonfiction I actually liked | Drinking By My Shelf video published on 12 nov. 2021
She talked about the stereotype of the aggressive black man and how that's easy to see why that's harmful but why the stereotype of black people being better dancers are a lot more insidious.
Which felt weird because I just had an conversation about that the other week with an colleague. That conversation wasn't at all negative so that was refreshing but I have had the same conversations that felt vaguely racist and I contributed to that. But I don't always know how or why.
So maybe a book like this can help with that. But I'm always hesitant with these kind of 'anti-racist' books. Maybe because I don't think you can actually learn how not to be a dickhead from a book, maybe because the kind of people who read these books are already trying to be better, or maybe because it doesn't feel like I'm the target audience.
As a child from two cultures and people with 2 different skin tones/genetic pool navigating in a world where the feeling of being 'just dark enough to get the diversity box' or 'not dark enough to get all of the same outright dumbassery', is strange and confusing and sometimes you bend your core because that's easier.
I'm a big fan of having standard sentences to use in certain situations. But it took a long time to find sentences that worked for me.
Maybe a book like this can teach me some new ways to clap back so I don't have to bend my core for anyone ever again. But that's a tall order, so maybe I won't read it at all.
February 5, 2021
Simultaneously informative and funny (you don't want to miss the footnotes!!!). This is not the first book that I read about (structural) racism, but it was nevertheless,very interesting how Elijah Lawal broke down racist stereotypes, and explored their historical and/or structural background. It is definitely a good start to educate yourself about (structural) racism.
However, the book destroyed Tarantino, and his movies, for me ... but I guess that is the point of reading and learning about racism: reflect yourself and rethink things and structures that you took for granted, in order to develope as a human being and become a better version of yourself.
However, the book destroyed Tarantino, and his movies, for me ... but I guess that is the point of reading and learning about racism: reflect yourself and rethink things and structures that you took for granted, in order to develope as a human being and become a better version of yourself.
September 27, 2021
Great idea, slightly flawed execution.
Lawal tackles 12 areas from identity to dating, drugs to food, detailing the myths and stereotypes applied to black people and providing facts and figures to help you debunk them.
I liked the conversational style, the mix of info from the UK and the USA, and the intersectionality.
Downsides: it's small print so a fairly dense read. I felt that the editing should have been tighter. The notes on sources that are printed on pp. 281-302 aren't referenced by number in the text, making it far too difficult to follow up on a specific area.
3.5 stars rounded to 4
Lawal tackles 12 areas from identity to dating, drugs to food, detailing the myths and stereotypes applied to black people and providing facts and figures to help you debunk them.
I liked the conversational style, the mix of info from the UK and the USA, and the intersectionality.
Downsides: it's small print so a fairly dense read. I felt that the editing should have been tighter. The notes on sources that are printed on pp. 281-302 aren't referenced by number in the text, making it far too difficult to follow up on a specific area.
3.5 stars rounded to 4
June 15, 2020
A much needed book breaking down racist stereotypes and calling them out for what they are. Reading this in the current climate was needed, and I encourage everyone to pick this book up and explore Lawal’s words. For some there’ll be eye-opening truths about specific behaviours, for some there will be several nods as you read along and resonate with some experiences that are discussed. Witty, yes, comedic in parts found myself laughing in some parts where i identifies so many shared experiences. Highly recommend!
September 25, 2020
Glad I picked up this book after reading the review on Goodreads. The theme could not be more apt with the current situation. It was mind-changing; I didn’t even realize that some of my thoughts were racist (even though I’ve been in the place of a minority in the past and have experienced racism myself).
Every chapter was full of facts but it’s very well written and enjoyable.
//“And while I have to acknowledge that race is nothing more than a social concept, we’d be blind to ignore its significance in our society.”
Every chapter was full of facts but it’s very well written and enjoyable.
//“And while I have to acknowledge that race is nothing more than a social concept, we’d be blind to ignore its significance in our society.”
September 30, 2020
Elijah Lawal brilliantly tackles common stereotypes about black people in this book, and I am left with genuine appreciation for the research, electric storytelling and historical references. He notes that the black community and it's allies need to debunk racist notions with facts - "making these arguments based solely on emotion and a strong narrative simply won't cut it". After reading this book you'll undoubtedly feel more equipped to shut down harmful comments and it's about damn time we do.
August 9, 2020
Absolutely fantastic. Was pleasantly surprised at how good this book was. The research done for this was remarkably thorough. So many times, Elijah communicated my personal thoughts and feelings in a coherent narrative that I have struggled to articulate my whole life, and manages to inject humour into it. Must read.
November 24, 2022
4.5 - I really liked the book! The author writes in a conversational way which makes the statistics and wee history lessons easier to absorb. If you’ve read previous books on racism in the US or African American history, this book probably won’t contain much new information, but the UK perspective offers some sobering insights.
June 23, 2020
Just about everything you might need to know to understand the context and history surrounding systemic racism against Black people. Delivered in a conversational manner, my favourite style of non-fiction.
March 7, 2021
Not an easy read but Lawal engages the reader in the uncomfortable subjects of systemic racism and white privilege with his humour and wit. From big to small, change is necessary, and this book is a must-read for anyone ready to clapback.
July 19, 2020
Excellent book clearing up many of the myths and stereotypes about black people and black culture. Very readable and very informative. Highly recommended.
September 20, 2020
An absolutely necessary read for white people.
November 26, 2020
Absolutely loved this book, such an eye opener - a much needed book to open us to the injustices in our unforgivable world!
Read
February 4, 2022Negative stereotypes. Racism. British POV. A conversation, of sorts. Some errors in editing noted.
October 24, 2023
An excellent educational novel with an entertaining narrator l
January 18, 2024
4.5, super well written and informative!!!
August 20, 2024
Highly recommend, informative & humourous!
January 2, 2025
Thank you Elijah Lawal for writing this book, which talks about very important issues, but always from a very human place and when the topic allows with a lot of humour.
Each chapter starts with a topic, a stereotype and a quiz question, which answer is revealed at the end of the chapter.
"Where are you from... originaly?"
"You' re not like other black people I know/I'm blacker than you"
"You're so well spoken"
"Touching our hair"
"Black don't crack"
"Brother/sister/fist bumps"
"I've been told I have a black girl's arse"
"Is Brexit going to affect you?"
"(To an interracial couple)oh wow, your kids are going to be so beautiful"
"Blackface for Halloween"
"Making fun of a characteristically black or Afro-caribbean name"
"Try to talk to us about how woke you are... especially on a night out"
"I'm not racist, I have black friends"
"I don't even see race"
This book gives us a lot of great information and data to dismantle all these negative narratives.
Each chapter starts with a topic, a stereotype and a quiz question, which answer is revealed at the end of the chapter.
"Where are you from... originaly?"
"You' re not like other black people I know/I'm blacker than you"
"You're so well spoken"
"Touching our hair"
"Black don't crack"
"Brother/sister/fist bumps"
"I've been told I have a black girl's arse"
"Is Brexit going to affect you?"
"(To an interracial couple)oh wow, your kids are going to be so beautiful"
"Blackface for Halloween"
"Making fun of a characteristically black or Afro-caribbean name"
"Try to talk to us about how woke you are... especially on a night out"
"I'm not racist, I have black friends"
"I don't even see race"
This book gives us a lot of great information and data to dismantle all these negative narratives.
August 22, 2019
A must read for anyone that wants to be more inclusive and a better ally. Makes reading about a potentially hard topic fun and offers greats insights.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews