The authors have founded a company called i-cubed which provides race equity transformational programmes and the like to businesses and organisations and have a lot of business background, so it's to their credit that this book is equally useful to those who work within organisations and individuals like me who do not.

An A-Z guide to the language around race, with an emphasis on Black people and culture, this is an invaluable guide that will have something new or a learning point for everyone.

I try to keep up to date with inclusive language through my reading, shared here, and various expert blogs and websites* I consult for my editing work. But there were certainly new concepts here as well as ones I've been aware of but haven't seen written down in a guide like this. The positive term "Blackism", linked to Afrocentrism, was new to me and I didn't know the term for that uncomfortable practice of people who are not Black using images and GIFs of Black people as reactions on social media ("Digital Blackface"). "Global Majority" is covered; I've taken to using "Global Majority People / Communities" rather than the disliked "BAME" (Black and Minority Ethnic) to acknowledge the preoponderance of Black and Brown people on our planet, but the book makes the excellent point that majority doesn't mean power.

The brilliant thing about this book is that it's supremely practical. Many entries have bullet points showing what you can do, for example the entry on Accent has a list running from "Acknowledge that we all have an accent; include accent bias trainig as part of your organisation's on-boarding" to "Practise speaking words from a country you are visiting where English is not the first language to get a feel of your accent in another language". Bias and affinity are covered thoroughly, which does of course have an application to hiring at companies but also might affect how one operates in a volunteer group or religious organisation.

There is no blame attached even to the negative terms, but there is a clear statement of what is acceptable use, and where there are two sides to a term, like "Black excellence" (explaining that it can involve celebrating and uplifting Black people's achievements but also the pressure on Black people to constantly strive to be considered excellent and the toll on their well-being this imposes). The history of terms is given where they've been coined rather than just popping into general use, for example "Back consciousness" orignally being used by W.E.B. Du Bois.

The whole purpose of the book is to help us to be "intentional and alert about our use of language" so we can "avoid perpetuating assumptions and stereotypes" and, especially if they can get the book into a lot of hands, I think it will massively help to achieve that aim. A copy should be sent to every business and organisation in the UK.

This is a great book for white people and people of color who are not black to read about the language of race and especially for those that complain about AAVE. A very informational read.

This was a really interesting and informative read! There were many terms and phrases I have never heard of that I was introduced to in this book. One of the most useful parts of the books were the list of suggested actions under some of the entries which challenged me to think about and change my behaviour. It was really easy to dip in and out of the book. I would really recommend everyone to read this as you would definetly take something away from it.

Thoughts:
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a great book that I think maybe everyone should read at least once. It is important for people to actively educate themselves rather than relying on the minority groups to educate us and this book is full of information to make a great start.

Favourite Quote:
"Making a conscious decision to raise awareness of our internal and external narrative allows us to be deliberate in the way we communicate, be it with words or through our behaviour."

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I think this book is wonderful and definitely a book that is able to break down the barriers for people wanting to explore and understand topics surrounding race. Definitely a valuable tool that all workplaces should have.

"My Little Black Book: A Blacktionary" by Jane Oremosu and Dr. Maggie Semple, OBE, is a compact guide to understanding the language of race. It was created to assist organizations and individuals in navigating discussions about race. This pocket-sized resource provides definitions, historical context, and actionable insights on topics such as bias, belonging, and Black Lives Matter. It encourages readers to engage in conversations about race and serves as a valuable tool for fostering understanding and change. With its concise format, it's an essential read for those committed to promoting inclusivity and meaningful dialogue on race.