Reversing the Gaze: What if the Other Were You?

In her book "Reversing the Gaze," Geneviève Makaping challenges the white majority in Italy by exposing their racist aggression and discussing how inequality based on race, color, gender, and class feeds off each other.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 226 pages
Publication date: 13 January 2023
Publisher: Rutgers University Press

Tired of the relentless scrutiny, criticism, and fetishization she faced for her black skin, Geneviève Makaping, a scholar of Cameroonian descent, takes a bold stance and turns the tables on Italy's white majority. With an unwavering and critical eye, she examines them through the same lens that minorities have traditionally been subjected to. In her candid memoir, Makaping vividly recounts her experiences, spanning from her childhood in Africa to her life as a migrant Black woman in Italy. Through her storytelling, she exposes the exhausting and degrading acts of racist aggression that she faced on a daily basis. Moreover, she delves into the interconnectedness of various forms of inequality, such as race, color, gender, and class, highlighting how they perpetuate each other and contribute to a systemic oppression.
Reversing the Gaze is a powerful invitation to readers to confront the pervasive issue of racism by reliving everyday occurrences that we may have encountered as victims, perpetrators, or witnesses. Makaping's memoir serves as a catalyst for reflection, challenging us to examine our own biases, prejudices, and behaviors and to work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable society for all. By shedding light on the experiences of marginalized individuals, this book encourages us to recognize the importance of empathy, understanding, and action in dismantling systems of oppression.

Weight: 222g
Dimension: 127 x 203 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978834682