A white Canadian journalist, Sam Forster, has received widespread condemnation on the social media platform X after revealing he had disguised as a Black man travelling through the United States for his forthcoming book, “Seven Shoulders.” Forster has faced a backlash, with the announcement drawing reactions ranging from mockery to outright disgust.

The journalist’s post, which has received nearly 12 million views, included a controversial statement: “Last summer, I disguised myself as a Black man and traveled throughout the United States to document how racism persists in American society.” Forster described the project as “one of the hardest things I’ve ever done as a journalist,” and provided a link to the book’s Amazon page.

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The book’s Amazon description claims, “Six decades after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, award-winning journalist Sam Forster performs a daring transformation in order to taxonomize the various types of racism that persist in modern America,” dubbing it “the most important book on American race relations ever written.” The author of the blurb is unspecified.

Critics have been quick to voice their displeasure. Radio host Karen Hunter quipped, “What in the ‘Black Like Me‘ is happening here?” referring to John Howard Griffin’s work where he disguised himself as a black man during the Civil Rights era. Crime fiction author Shawn Andre Cosby suggested a more straightforward approach: “Did it ever occur to you to maybe… I don’t know, TALK TO BLACK PEOPLE?”

Further scepticism about Forster’s claims arose when some noted discrepancies in his timeline. “Twitter posts show that you were in Ukraine from at least May to July 2023,” some users pointed out, questioning the feasibility of his travels across America.

Imani Gandy, another critic, remarked, “You’re a journalist. You could have just interviewed some Black Americans.

“This is wild especially considering some other white dude already did this and there’s no way your book is the most important book ever written on race relations. That’s a comical statement.”

Amid the uproar, details about Forster’s disguise became a focal point of the controversy. Sociology professor Tim Gill shared on X, “Forster decided not to release pictures of him in blackface for his new book, because he says it’s offensive to view and that he’s opposed to showing White folks in blackface. However, he believes as long as you’re truly trying to pass yourself as Black, it’s permissible.”

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Journalist Katie Herzog revealed a snippet from what seemed to be Forster’s manuscript, stating, “In any case, I have decided against releasing images of myself,” apparently referring to the contentious disguise.

“Seven Shoulders: Taxonomizing Racism in Modern America” is set for release this Thursday, May 30, despite the backdrop of controversy and debate over its methods and message. It has already received a number of one star reviews on Goodreads ahead of its publication.