Mediocre

Mediocre by Ijeoma Oluo critically examines the history and impact of white male supremacy in America, intertwining historical events with personal narratives and sociological insights. Spanning 150 years of American history, Oluo paints a vivid picture of how white male identity has shaped, and often disrupted, the country's political ideology and culture. From the post-Reconstruction South and the perpetuation of cowboy myths to contemporary issues such as the NFL protests and the backlash against women's progress in politics, Oluo exposes how white male supremacy has inflicted harm on women, people of colour, and white men themselves. The book delves into real-life consequences of systemic racism and sexism, offering a piercing look at how these issues are ingrained in the fabric of American society. From the TIME 100 author of the Sunday Times and number 1 New York Times bestseller So You Want to Talk About Race, a subversive history of white male American identity--now with a new preface.

'One of the most admired writers and "internet yellers" around... Mediocre is ever more vital... Oluo's meeting the time--this movement against white supremacy and systems of oppression. But the question she keeps asking in her work: Are we?' IBRAM X KENDI

Mediocre boldly questions what happens to a nation that continually tells its white men they are entitled to power. It scrutinises a society where success is measured by dominance over women and people of colour rather than genuine achievements and argues for a new understanding of white male identity unburdened by racism and sexism.

'Mediocre paints an urgent, honest picture of how white male identity has spawned unrest in the country's political ideology... It's a necessary read for the world we live in.' CHIDOZIE OBASI, Harper's Bazaar

'[Ijeoma's] books don't come from a place of hate, but of determination to make change... Mediocre is another amazing book.' TREVOR NOAH on The Daily Show

With sharp analysis and compassionate insight, Oluo challenges readers to rethink the costs of power structures upheld by white male supremacy. Her investigation is provocative and essential, urging us to imagine a transformative future where identity is emancipated from the oppressive forces of racism and sexism.

'[An] analytical and compassionate book.' New Statesman

'Deftly combines history and sociological study with personal narrative, and the result is both uncomfortable and illuminating.' Washington Post

'Ijeoma's sharp yet accessible writing about the American racial landscape made her 2018 book So You Want to Talk About Race an invaluable resource. Mediocre builds on this exemplary work, homing in on the role of white patriarchy in creating and upholding a system built to disenfranchise anyone who isn't a white male.' TIME

Oluo's compelling critique and call for change make Mediocre an indispensable read for understanding and dismantling the pervasive structures of oppression.