Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy Discussion

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy Discussion Questions and Review

by

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy Discussion Questions and Review written by the Ent on 7/6/2021. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog

Know Before You Read

Book: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy
Author: Emmanuel Acho
Genre: Social Awareness, Childrens, Race Relations
Length: 302 Pages
Age suggested : 10 and up (Younger readers will need to read alongside older people_
Release Date: May 4th, 2021
Themes: Racial relations, Systemic racism, Social Justice
Warnings: There are quite a few topics that could bring up sensitive topics for people who have been through prejudice, racism, and injustice. Because of this, we highly recommend this book, especially for readers who need to learn more about these typs of issues.

Quick Summary of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy

Emmanuel Acho, best known as a sports analyst and a former team member of Cleveland Browns, has put together a brilliant collection of conversations for a younger audience. His unique life experience of being Nigerian-American and growing up in Dallas, TX provides a very helpful perspective that can be used to create conversations between people of different races and cultures. Acho dives into different important topics in about 15 chapters that help break down and discuss racial issues.

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy Review

Acho does an amazing job breaking down some of the largest issues facing relations in America today. From the relatively simple (why you can’t use the N-word if you’re white) to the more difficult (Systemic racism). No matter the topic, Acho has the ability to grip the reader with his ability to help the reader understand the true issues that are affecting are BIPOC friends and family.

This book is the youth edition of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man. There are a few changes from the original, which mostly take away the focus from parenting and families and put even more of a focus on allyship. Also, there are a few more modern references in Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy as it has been updated with more current examples and references.

Structurally, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy may be one of the best organized books about racial relations. It is broken down into small, digestable topics, despite many of these topics being quite heavy and complex. Even the way the chapters are broken down do a phenomenal job at focussing on dissecting each topic at hand. This provides a relatively thorough review of race relations in America while also providing opportunities to grow the discussion beyond the book.

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy Discussion Questions Part 1: Me and You

Intro Discussion Questions

  1. What qualifications or reasons does Acho  provide for himself in writing about conversations regarding race?
  2. How does Acho compare COVID19 to racism?
  3. What are your thoughts on the elevator of racism? Have you had interactions with people of every floor?
  4. What do you think the American that Langston Hughes was dreaming about could look like?
  5. (From the Birth of Whiteness section) What about ‘White’ and ‘Black’ labels did you learn about that you didn’t know before?

Chapter 1 Discussion Questions

  1. Why is the difference between ‘slaves’ and ‘enslaved people’ significant?
  2. Have you every had a name or title preference for what others call you?
  3. Why is asking people’s preference to be called ‘Black’ or ‘African American’ so important?

Chapter 2 Discussion Questions

  1. What were your thoughts on the examples of implicit bias shown in this chapter (i.e. wrestling hair rules, curriculum, etc)?
  2. Have you ever noticed an example of people using implicit biases against someone else?
  3. What are ways you can acknowledge your implicit biases and not act on them poorly?

Chapter 3 Discussion Questions

  1. How is the way Acho presents ‘White Privilege’ similar and different than the way you think/thought about it?
  2. In terms of intersectionality, how many privileges apply to you? (This could be a long list, so maybe grab a piece of paper and write them down)
  3. What are ways you use these privileges to help others?

Chapter 4 Discussion Questions

  1. What did you of the comparison of cultural appropriation and plagiarism?
  2. Were you aware of the history of ‘Black Face’? Have you seen this done in your life?
  3. What other forms of cultural appropriation have you seen or experienced? How did you handle it?

Chapter 5 Discussion Questions

  1. What was your reaction to Laurie Cassidy’s line of questioning?
  2. Have you previously heard of Birth of a Nation and the affects it had? What is your reaction to it?
  3. How does the myth of the ‘Angry Black Man’ play into the destruction of ‘Black Wall Street’?
  4. How do you/have you seen the myth of the Angry Black man play out in today’s society?

Chapter 6 Discussion Questions

  1. Have you ever witnessed consequences from saying the N-word?
  2. What did you think when you learned the history of the N-Word
  3. How does it make you feel that non-Black people can’t use the N-word? Did learning the history affect any of these thoughts and feelings?
  4. What issue could be found in Buck’s first apology and how was it improved in his second one?

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy Discussion Questions Part 2: Us and Them

Chapter 7 Discussion Questions

  1. Have you heard arguments for keeping the confederate flag? How do you respond in these situations?
  2. Have you previously been introduced to the concept of systemic racism?  How have you seen it at work  today?
  3. Which statistic about systemic racism did you find most surprising and why?
  4. What are ways you can join the battle to combat racism?

Chapter 8 Discussion Questions

  1. Were there any new topics/phrases that you hadn’t previously known?  What are your thoughts on them?
  2. Why do you think people are so quick to use White Talk when confronted?
  3. How do racial groups factor into reverse racism?
  4. Have you ever seen/heard someone be called out for being a ‘reverse racist’? If so, how did you respond? If no, how would you?

Chapter 9 Discussion Questions

  1. With so much news regarding voting rights and laws, how has this chapter informed your thoughts on these issues?
  2. How does America’s history of voting inform current events?
  3. Discuss with your kid about jury duty, if you’ve ever been selected, and what the process was like.
  4. What are some ways that you and your family can help repair ‘The Fix’?

Chapter 10 Discussion Questions

  1. In what ways have you seen the myth of the superpredator played out in today’s culture, media, and movies? Have you heard it described by any other name?
  2. What facts most surprised you about the justice system?
  3. When have you had biases towards people you perceived as ‘thugs’ and how did you handle those biases?
Uncomfortable Conversations with a black boy discussion

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy Discussion Questions Part 3: We

Chapter 11 Discussion Questions

  1. How is the anger of Acho’s mom and those of protesters similar?
  2. Note differences and examples of the following terms:
    1. Protests
    1. Riots
    1. Rebellions
    1. Massacres
  3. Which of the items on the Civil Rights March’s Agenda do you have a passion for seeing corrected?  What are some ways  you could help?

Chapter 12 Discussion Questions

  1. Have you ever watched Acho’s videos on Youtube? What did you think of them and the story at the beginning of this chapter?
  2. What is the difference between Allyship and White Savior Complex? How do you make sure you slip into the complex while being an ally?
  3. Do you consider yourself an ally?
    1. If yes, how are you going to get and stay involved?
    1. If not, what is making you hesitant?

Chapter 13 Discussion Questions

  1. If you were to throw a party of the 15 people closest to you, what would be the diversity make up of that group?
  2. Who is/could be your ‘Brittany’? (A friend of another race who you have a close personal relationship)
  3. As you leave the huddle, what is your ‘play’? How can you help end racism?

BONUS- Quick Talks Discussion Questions

  1. What history did you learn about in this section that you hadn’t know before?
  2. Which section did you have the most misconceptions about?

Thanks for reading our Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy Discussion Questions. Before you go, check out these other posts

–Stamped Remix review and discussion questions

–Talking your Teens Through Just Mercy Discussion Guide (and FREE Curriculum)

–The Hate U Give Review (And Curriculum)

Down The Hobbit Hole Blog and this Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy Discussion Questions and Review use affiliate links. We only link products we think you’ll like and you are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. This allows us to keep writing discussion questions and telling ridiculous dad jokes. Find our other reviews with discussion questions here. Our posts about faith here. And our posts about family stuff here.

Please Take a Second to Share This:
Down The Hobbit Hole Blog