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In the tradition of Ta-Nehisi Coates, a bracing, provocative and perspective-shifting book from one of Canada's most celebrated and uncompromising writers, Desmond Cole. The Skin We're In will spark a national conversation, influence policy and inspire activists.
DESMOND COLE is an award-winning journalist, radio host, and activist in Toronto. His writing has appeared in the Toronto Star, Toronto Life, The Walrus, NOW Magazine, Ethnic Aisle, Torontoist, BuzzFeed, and the Ottawa Citizen. The Skin We're In is Cole's first book.
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE 2020 TORONTO BOOK AWARD
FINALIST FOR THE 2021 SHAUGNESSY COHEN PRIZE
FINALIST FOR THE 2021 FOREST OF READING EVERGREEN AWARD
FINALIST FOR THE 2021 RAKUTEN KOBO EMERGING WRITER PRIZE
A BEST BOOK OF 2020
The Globe and Mail, NOW, CBC, Quill & Quire, Indigo
A PENGUIN BOOK CLUB PICK
"A masterpiece." —PopMatters
"Cole's unflinching, courageous and confrontational book addresses
systemic racism in Canada directly, refusing to allow its readers
to look away or remain complacent." —Quill & Quire
"Cole's book stands out as a powerful call to action. A superb
synthesizer, the unstoppable Cole addresses racisms of all kinds
across the country, but it’s his terrific takedown of Toronto
policing that stands out." —NOW
"The sheer strength of this book arises from its insistent linking
of policing, prisons, public education, migrant labour,
impoverished neighbourhoods and the fates of refugees. The Skin
We're In is about the interlocking forces besieging Black life in
Canada; and it is also about organizing resistance and imagining
futures in bravely intimate terms. Desmond Cole is an urgent and
essential voice from a generation that will be heard." —David
Chariandy, author of Brother and I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You: A
Letter to My Daughter
"In The Skin We're In, Desmond Cole offers us not only analysis of
one year of anti-blackness in the lands we currently call Canada:
he also recovers disappeared histories of Black resistance, gives
richly deserved credit to Black LGBTQ+ activists, shows solidarity
with disabled and Indigenous folks, and, most importantly, reminds
us of the power of Black genius and Black joy. This smart,
powerful, essential book is an act of radical generosity—one we
should all be grateful to receive, hold, share and revisit.”
—Alicia Elliott, author of A Mind Spread Out on the Ground
"Desmond Cole systematically dismantles any lingering illusions of
Canada as a beacon of racial benevolence by exposing the multiple
forms of state violence facing Black peoples of all ages and
genders. His text, further, compellingly highlights the ongoing
refusal of Canada's Black diaspora to submit to conditions of
subjugation, bringing to light both historical and contemporary
legacies of rebellion. A powerful read." —Robyn Maynard, author of
Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the
Present
"It is not an exaggeration to say that Desmond Cole's book
should be taught in classrooms, roiling in the minds of the next
generation, lauded in social justice movements. It's
a striking, searing, perspective-shifting book that draws
attention to the injustices faced by Black Canadians on a daily
basis. . . . His prose contains the grace, clarity, caution and
cadence of someone familiar with speaking up and standing tall. He
seamlessly integrates historical and theoretical material with
analyses of recent events, making the text informative and incisive
without sacrificing emotional resonance. . . . The book
represents a solid introduction to themes of white supremacy,
imperialism and power, anti-Black racism, and Cole's own life and
values . . . [and] as Cole powerfully illustrates, Black
pain—and the fight against it—does not always have a tidy, smooth,
palatable ending." —Quill and Quire, starred review
"Part biography, part journal, part guide to anti-racism activism,
The Skin We’re In might be Desmond Cole's first book but its story
is one that people of colour will immediately find familiar. . . .
If you are a human being or socially aware robot, read this book."
—This Magazine
"Desmond Cole's The Skin We're In is an uncompromising yet utterly
compelling dissection of a long neglected but fundamental aspect of
Canadian life: anti-Black racism. This is a story of confrontation
and resistance, but also of deep listening and bearing witness.
Written with power and verve, Cole's sharp, urgent, and lyrical
prose reveals an author with a capacious intellect, moral clarity,
and unwavering commitment to justice. Cole challenges his home and
native land to dispense with magical thinking and reckon with
uncomfortable truths." —2021 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize Jury
"A skillful blend of history and reportage, The Skin We're In
punctures any illusions Torontonians may harbor about race
relations in their City, and provides a local front-line
perspective on Black Lives Matter. Desmond Cole describes his
progression from journalist to activist on behalf of Toronto’s
black residents fed up with mistreatment at the hands of the
police, lip service from politicians and media, and indifference
from the community at large. Accomplished, timely and powerful, The
Skin We're In is a potent and urgent reminder that there is no
place for complacency in the battle against racism." —2020 Toronto
Book Awards jury
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