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After I finished this book, I read a couple of reviews in very prestigious US media outlets that seemed to say that Rankine is no longer powerful, radical, uncompromising enough. That the world has moved on since her Citizen was published (to pretty much universal acclaim) in 2014 and Just Us hasn’t quite managed to keep up.

I disagree. In my (admittedly non-American and white) view, she continues to be brilliant and the book is relevant AF. Rankine doesn’t let anyone off the hook, herself included. And if she prefers openminded questioning, relentless analysis and nuanced dialogue to slogans and rigid ideology, well, that’s surely to her credit. Her personal and intellectual approach does not negate the need for structural and political change, it complements it. One cannot be (fully) effective without the other.

Out of all the contemporary books on race I’ve read, this is probably my favourite. However, if you are new to the subject (as for example many of my fellow Estonians might be), it is possibly not the best place to start. It is a demanding book, both in content and form and requires - I think - a certain level of familiarity with the issues and a willingness to focus hard and to challenge oneself.

PS This review is not intended to be flippant, it’s just that for two days, I’ve felt like shouting at some of those prestigious newspapers: “WHO ARE YOU TO CRITICISE CLAUDIA RANKINE??!!�