This is Why I Resist: Don't Define My Black Identity

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For me, ultimately, the book is to say: don’t expect conversations about race, racism and race inclusion to be comfortable,” she says. Its author, Dr Shola has spent her life in anti-racism circles, studying how race affects people’s lives. She tells me, however, that the stars aligned in 2020 – so she could finally speak through her first book. Her frustration isn’t just about racism, she explains, but rather how racism manifests itself in the very fabric of our society.

This is Why I Resist Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu on her book This is Why I Resist

This is not about people pointing fingers and going ‘all white people are racist’, ‘cause that’s not true. All white people are not racist and I point out in the book that we have white allies who for the longest time, you know, over centuries, who have fought the good fight to end racial inequality and racial injustice, and some of them even lost their life and liberty in this good fight. Direct, unapologetic and urgent in her message which centers on the individual doing ‘something now to break away from the structures that choke us, in all areas of life’, Mos-Shogbamimu, an activist, lawyer and political commentator, doesn’t disappoint with this book. The rest of the book goes on to describe and define racism in all its forms, using case study examples from The UK and The USA. With chapters such as “Does Reverse Racism Exist?”, “Who’s Playing The Race Card?” and “Can I Be Me?”, she goes in-depth into debunking the concept of “reverse racism”, explains why anti-semitism is not racism, and why discrimination against class and discrimination against race are not to be conflated. Being that her book was released last year, the examples she uses to support her arguments are still very fresh in our collective memories – I guess this makes her writing relatable and easy to understand.At last year’s virtual Conservative Party conference, home secretary Priti Patel condemned the tactics of BLM and Extinction Rebellion protesters, as she criticised the “hooliganism and thuggery” seen on the country’s streets. To celebrate the release of This Is Why I Resist Mos-Shogbamimu will be talking with Chante Joseph @ChantayyJayy on publication day. She opens her book with a quote from The Telegraph: ” Arguably one of the most toxic voices in Britain’s race relations debate.” The six weeks writing it were, she says, “emotionally exhausting and exhilarating at the same time”. I think it’s important on the issue of race inclusion that we use every medium possible because every medium is already being used against race inclusion. So why not use the same medium to educate, to break down nuances, to make these subjects much more approachable by being yourself and saying ‘look, this is what this means’? What I’m doing there is deconstructing some very nuanced points in 60 seconds.”

This is Why I Resist by Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu - Waterstones This is Why I Resist by Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu - Waterstones

I say to people, don’t shy away from the discomfort of speaking on these issues. If you don’t feel uncomfortable, then you’re not having the right conversation.” We live in a place that is still grappling with the realities of a fallen empire, a place built on a colonial foundation and centuries of white supremacist indoctrination, she tells me. Mos-Shogbamimu adds: “I am not surprised that they are talking about protecting certain statues without any sensitivity or understanding about the representation of these statues in the legacy of slavery and the legacy that continues systemic racism in our country today. I am not surprised. What is there to expect?” A racial gatekeeper is one who uses their influence, their position, their power, their voice, to pull up the ladder behind them. What they do is legitimise the divisive rhetoric, the oppression, the system of oppression used against people from their own ethnicity. And they do this for self-preservation. They do this for the benefits they get from their proximity to white supremacy. British racism, as we all know, also carries its own special brand of subtlety. Dr Shola’s book, in contrast is anything but subtle.Unfortunately for Remainers, the negative impact that’s going to come from Brexit – this is not going to be like, you know, the plagues that hit Biblical Egypt,” says the 45-year-old. Like Dr Shola or not, one thing you cannot argue with is that she’s self-aware. She knows she’s a polarising figure and she understands that she makes the majority of Britons uncomfortable. But does she care?… Exactly. No. I’m not saying ‘don’t get promoted’. By all means, you know, fly. I have no issue with that. But you have to fly at the expense of denying people who are from your ethnicity the opportunity to fly like you. Look, the conversation around white supremacy and the way white supremacists’ rhetoric is cloaked with an aura of respectability – it wears suits today, it wears nice dresses today, it’s on TV today. This Is Why I Resist is notable for its striking honesty. It is both refreshing and brutal. Incredibly uncomfortable but undeniably needed.

This is Why I Resist Shola Mos-Shogbamimu: This is Why I Resist

Yep – this definitely describes Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, a lawyer, public speaker and activist, and the author of This is Why I Resist, which is what we’ll be reviewing today. But firstly, more on Dr Shola. What emerges is a challenging, sometimes difficult read – indeed, she warns in the introduction, it is not a book looking for a dispassionate, “sugar-coated” piece of writing. In this powerful talk, Shola makes a bold statement about why she will not be defined by the colour of her skin , gender or religion. Watch this talk to see how she engages the audience to join her revolution.

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Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu is a lawyer, political commentator and activist for women’s rights, diversity and inclusion, law and politics. If you are not already aware of who Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu is go onto YouTube and search ‘Piers Morgan’. A wealth of heated Good Morning Britain debates will appear and amongst those, you will see Mos-Shogbamimu frequently feature. Mos-Shogbamimu is notoriously known for these debates, especially over the fact that she called Britain institutionally racist and Morgan disregarded it as nonsensical. In the first chapter, ‘Does White Privilege Whitewash Racism’, Mos-Shogbamimu looks closely at what allows people like Piers Morgan, to ignore such statements as falsity.

Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu Phd MBA LLM MA LLB IAQ

She also uses quotes from other public figures to support her arguments. For example, this one from Bishop T.D. Jakes still rings in my mind today: “If you know who you are, then you know you’re not. if you don’t know who you are, somebody can ascribe to you any identity onto you, and you will morphe into what they want you to be.” If you are interested in interviewing Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu for your TV show, Thought leadership articles,Newspaper or Publications, booking her for a live event or require any additional information regarding Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu then please fill in the enquiry form.Inclusive, exciting and focused, This Is Why I Resist is a fantastic point of reference for intersectional anti-racism work, no matter who you are.’ Munroe Bergdorf A searing and striking read, the women’s rights activist and lawyer tells me that her work has been a couple of years in the making. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu is a lawyer, activist, political commentator and founder of the publication Women in Leadership.