Structure

Waking Up White is divided into nine parts and 46 chapters, plus an introduction and an afterword called “Tell Me What to Do!” (251) which offers guidance and additional resources for readers that wish to learn more or get involved in the fight against racial injustice. Each part is introduced with a quote by a famous thinker, author, or activist, and each chapter closes with a question (usually consisting of several parts) in which Irving invites the reader to apply the information in the chapter to their own life. This makes the book more interactive; instead of just passively reading about the author's journey to understand racism and white privilege, the reader is encouraged to really think and/or write about how these issues have affected them and people they have cared for.

As the book is a memoir, albeit something of a hybrid, the narrative unfolds in roughly...