Get Discount 10% Off
Subscribe to our newsletters now and stay up-to-date with new arrivals, updates and deals.
MILLIONS OF TITLES TO CHOOSE FROM
Currency
The Real Ones: How to Disrupt the Hidden Ways Racism Makes Us Less Authentic
Top political strategist Maya Rupert reveals how, for people of color, being real comes at a cost...
- $47.37 USD
$89.99 USD- $47.37 USD
- Unit price
- per
Please hurry! Only 745 left in stock
Couldn't load pickup availability
Top political strategist Maya Rupert reveals how, for people of color, being real comes at a cost and authenticity is a privilege the marginalized cannot afford--that is, unless we change the system that keeps sending us the bill. . .
One of Maya Rupert's earliest memories was learning how to be inauthentic. That performance--the ability to make white people feel comfortable about race--has brought her everything from safety to success. As the third Black woman in history to run a presidential campaign, she soon realized that there was no room among society's expectations for our real selves. In The Real Ones, Rupert reveals that for some, inauthenticity is necessary for survival. In this deeply relatable book, Rupert weaves together pop culture and politics, workplace advice and personal stories. She shares the off-camera experiences on the presidential campaign trail in a post-Obama political landscape. She sees what Taylor Swift and Beyoncé fans expect from our biggest stars--one is admired as the authentic girl next door, the other is required to be a queen. She exposes the trap too many face in the workplace, when we are asked to bring our full selves to work--but not too much. Rupert sees a world where success is at the expense of our authenticity, not because of it. The Real Ones offers an entirely fresh take on race--that authenticity is a privilege kept from people of color. When we are constantly confronted with the question, "Who do you think you are?" we cannot begin to ask ourselves "Who am I?" In the end, Rupert upends our understanding of authenticity, so that readers can stop questioning who we are, and finally thrive.
Author: Maya Rupert
Publisher: Dutton
Published: 02/10/2026
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.30w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9780593475973
Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 02/15/2026
Library Journal 12/01/2025 pg. 83
Publishers Weekly 12/08/2025
About the Author
Maya Rupert is a political strategist and the third Black woman in history to run a presidential campaign. She is the Executive Vice President at Blue State, and she hosts the podcast When We Win, an NAACP Image Award nominee. A nationally respected voice on progressive politics and the Democratic party, she has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, and NPR; and in The New York Times and The Atlantic. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her cats.
One of Maya Rupert's earliest memories was learning how to be inauthentic. That performance--the ability to make white people feel comfortable about race--has brought her everything from safety to success. As the third Black woman in history to run a presidential campaign, she soon realized that there was no room among society's expectations for our real selves. In The Real Ones, Rupert reveals that for some, inauthenticity is necessary for survival. In this deeply relatable book, Rupert weaves together pop culture and politics, workplace advice and personal stories. She shares the off-camera experiences on the presidential campaign trail in a post-Obama political landscape. She sees what Taylor Swift and Beyoncé fans expect from our biggest stars--one is admired as the authentic girl next door, the other is required to be a queen. She exposes the trap too many face in the workplace, when we are asked to bring our full selves to work--but not too much. Rupert sees a world where success is at the expense of our authenticity, not because of it. The Real Ones offers an entirely fresh take on race--that authenticity is a privilege kept from people of color. When we are constantly confronted with the question, "Who do you think you are?" we cannot begin to ask ourselves "Who am I?" In the end, Rupert upends our understanding of authenticity, so that readers can stop questioning who we are, and finally thrive.
Author: Maya Rupert
Publisher: Dutton
Published: 02/10/2026
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.30w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9780593475973
Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 02/15/2026
Library Journal 12/01/2025 pg. 83
Publishers Weekly 12/08/2025
About the Author
Maya Rupert is a political strategist and the third Black woman in history to run a presidential campaign. She is the Executive Vice President at Blue State, and she hosts the podcast When We Win, an NAACP Image Award nominee. A nationally respected voice on progressive politics and the Democratic party, she has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, and NPR; and in The New York Times and The Atlantic. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her cats.
Returns Policy
You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.
Shipping
We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.
When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.
Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.