The Skin We're In

The Skin We're In follows journalist and activist Desmond Cole through one year of documenting racism and anti-racist resistance in Canada. The book uses 2017 as a framework to examine systemic discrimination, police violence, and institutional barriers faced by Black Canadians. Cole combines personal experiences with investigative reporting to chronicle specific incidents of racial injustice across the country. He documents protests, community organizing, and encounters with law enforcement while connecting these events to broader patterns of discrimination in Canadian society. Through current events and historical context, the book challenges Canada's self-image as a multicultural haven free from the racial tensions seen in the United States. This award-winning work directly confronts the reality of anti-Black racism in Canadian institutions including law enforcement, education, immigration, and child welfare. The Skin We're In serves as both documentation of contemporary resistance movements and an argument for recognizing systemic racism as a defining feature of Canadian society rather than an aberration. Without sensationalism, Cole presents evidence that racism in Canada requires urgent attention and structural change.

Readers emphasize the book's detailed documentation of anti-Black racism in Canada, with many noting how it opened their eyes to systemic issues they hadn't recognized. Multiple reviewers mention the personal impact of Cole's firsthand accounts and journalistic style. Readers appreciated: - Clear examples and evidence of systemic racism - Focus on Canadian context rather than U.S. - Mix of personal stories and investigative reporting - Accessible writing style Common criticisms: - Some found the narrative structure jumps between topics - A few readers wanted more proposed solutions - Some felt certain chapters were repetitive Ratings: Goodreads: 4.47/5 (3,800+ ratings) Amazon.ca: 4.7/5 (580+ ratings) Chapters/Indigo: 4.8/5 (150+ ratings) "Changed how I view policing in Canada" appears in multiple reviews. Several readers noted feeling uncomfortable but grateful for having their assumptions challenged, with one stating "This should be required reading in Canadian schools."

The Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present by Robyn Maynard Documents the history of state violence against Black communities in Canada through research and testimonies that expose systemic patterns of oppression.

They Said This Would Be Fun: Race, Campus Life, and Growing Up by Eternity Martis Chronicles experiences of anti-Black racism at Canadian universities through personal accounts and examination of institutional barriers.

Until We Are Free: Reflections on Black Lives Matter in Canada by Rodney Diverlus, Sandy Hudson, and Syrus Marcus Ware Presents first-hand accounts from activists and organizers in the Canadian Black Lives Matter movement with analysis of resistance strategies.

In the Black: My Life by B. Denham Jolly Maps the journey of a Jamaican immigrant building Black institutions in Toronto while confronting systemic racism in Canadian media and business.

The Hanging of Angélique by Afua Cooper Reconstructs the story of an enslaved woman in colonial Montreal to reveal the buried history of slavery and anti-Black racism in early Canada.

🔍 Cole gained national attention in 2015 for his Toronto Life cover story "The Skin I'm In," which documented his experiences of being stopped and questioned by police more than 50 times. 📚 The book's title "The Skin We're In" deliberately echoes Cole's earlier article while shifting from "I'm" to "We're" to emphasize collective experience and solidarity. 🎥 Before becoming an author, Cole worked as a columnist for the Toronto Star but left in 2017 after being told his activism conflicted with his journalism. 🏆 The book won the 2020 Toronto Book Award and sparked important conversations about anti-Black racism in Canadian institutions. 🗣️ Each chapter of the book is structured around a specific month in 2017, creating a unique diary-style narrative that connects personal experiences with broader social movements.