Why I wrote a young adult version of Things That Make White People Uncomfortable
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​I thought it was important to do a young adult version of the book because at some point in time, we have to be honest with young people about what’s happening. We build these sometimes we’re not real with our kids about the world they live in. This book is an opportunity to share some truly valuable reflections from the sports figures they look up to. I always say that as an athlete you constantly get told to sell stuff to kids, but you never really just tell them the truth. We never give them a true, honest reflection of the world and the fact that, together, we can change it: the impact we can have, individually, and as a community, when we collaborate.

​It’s important to help young kids see athletes beyond the things that they do, to see them for who they are as people. When you ask someone about athletes, the first thing they do is talk about stats—they never talk about them as people or the things they do for the community. This book is an opportunity to see a football player as something other than just an athlete: to see him as a human. It’s an opportunity for young people to see it’s okay to be vulnerable, to think about how to treat each other. It also shows the strength of what we can do as a whole, as a group, when we put our minds together.

Maybe the title will put people off, but at the end of the day, it’s really about what’s inside. This book is the true definition of “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” It’s about showing that being an athlete is just one side of a person, and that we all have to pay close attention to who we are, and act accordingly, because history repeats the same discrimination and the same violence and will continue on in this vicious cycle unless we reach and teach young people. I want to help kids to have a voice and to find a way to speak their truth.
—Michael Bennett


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Praise for Things That Make White People Uncomfortable:

“A shockingly honest take on sports and politics.”
—THE STRANGER

​“Bennett goes in hard on everything. Nothing is spared.
​Not the NFL. Not the Trump administration. Not police brutality. Not even the n-word.”
—PHILADELPHIA INTELLIGENCER

“Bennett’s book is painfully honest, incredibly thought-provoking and often hilarious.”
—SEATTLE PI

“Like athletes-turned-authors Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the late Arthur Ashe, Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Bennett uses his professional fame to shed light on American racism in these astute personal essays. Bennett’s book proves he can tackle the ills of society as capably as he tackles quarterbacks.”
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“A fiery memoir/manifesto by an athlete with his heart in the right place.”
—Kirkus Reviews

​“It would be easy for Michael Bennett to remain silent, to play in the NFL and make his mark through accomplishments on the field. Instead Michael has chosen to use his voice and his platform to fight injustice.”
—Senator Bernie Sanders

“There is a tradition of athletes who understand that sports is a way to reach people and change the world. I am proud and humbled to be recognized as part of that tradition. I believe that Michael Bennett's name deserves mention alongside the best of us. This book doesn't only explain the roots of Michael Bennett's courage. It will inspire the people who read it to conquer their fears and fight for what's right.”
—Dr. John Carlos, 1968 Olympic medalist

“There is a revolution underway inside professional sports and Michael Bennett is at ground zero. In this revelatory book, he puts everything on the line to share the reasons, strategy, pain and deep thought behind this historic uprising. And he invites us into a vision of justice and liberation that is simply irresistible.
​This book is pure fire.”
—Naomi Klein, author of No Is Not Enough

“Fresh from his icon-cementing appearance on the cover of the New Yorker with Martin Luther King Jr. and Colin Kaepernick, Michael Bennett proves he’s worth the hype with this brilliant, disturbing, and courageous exploration of race and whiteness in America. Just as he does on the field, Bennett flies to problem areas with grace and speed, plowing through knotted social issues, tackling difficult matters, and defending democracy against its determined foes. With this book, Michael Bennett is not only a champion, he’s a modern warrior for justice!”
—Michael Eric Dyson, author of Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America

“I was going to say this is the most courageous book on race written by an athlete in my lifetime, but I actually think this is one of the most courageous books on race and racism in America that has ever been written by anyone. It’s that good and that important.”
—Shaun King, columnist for The Intercept and writer-in-residence for Harvard Law School’s Fair Punishment Project

“Michael Bennett—husband and father, citizen, NFL Pro Bowl Player and Super Bowl MVP—presents a series of perspectives on cultural, institutional, and political realities within the sports arena and beyond that provokes us to a deeper consideration of athlete political activism, activism that today makes many in white America uncomfortable. This is a must-read  for anyone looking to better understand today’s political climate in American sports.”
—Harry Edwards, author of The Revolt of the Black Athlete

“With vulnerability, humility, and the courage to tell the truth, Michael Bennett reminds us at the heart of every social awakening are ordinary people who choose justice and resistance over silence and comfort. In a profession where independent thought is punished, Michael Bennett lays it all on the line with this book. Bennett’s insights into everything from Black Lives Matter, to college athletics, to intersectional feminism will not only make white people uncomfortable, but it will challenge the status quo of our entire society.”
—Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, author of From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation

“Michael Bennet is a warrior for justice.  His spirit is in line and step with all those freedom fighters who came before him.”
—Craig Hodges, author of Long Shot: The Triumphs and Struggles of An NBA Freedom Fighter

“In a social media age where professional athletes are regularly criticized by anyone with a twitter account, Michael Bennett has the courage to stand up for what he believes despite the possibility of losing fans, support or endorsements. Whether it’s speaking on police brutality, systemic racism, Black Lives Matter, or human rights for Palestinian people he doesn’t hesitate to lend his voice. This book is a live wire. It's electric.”
—Etan Thomas, 10 Year NBA Veteran, author of We Matter: Athletes and Activism

“Things That Make White People Uncomfortable is a real and unblinkingly raw memoir that is going to make a lot of white people, and people of color too, very uncomfortable. What makes this book different, and so unique, is that Bennett remixes the past into an unavoidable and necessary dialogue for this 21st century, on his own terms. Michael Bennett is a leader and a change agent, too.”
—Kevin Powell, author of The Education of Kevin Powell: A Boy’s Journey into Manhood

 “Michael Bennett is one of the most outspoken and progressive voices in the NFL.”
—The Root