10 Books to Read If You Want to Be Antiracist
Now that you've flooded Instagram with photos of black squares, it's time to hunker down for some real activism.
If you're a white person, you're sitting on top of about four centuries of institutionalized racism. In the wake of George Floyd's murder by police and countless Black Lives Matter protests across the nation, it's time to show up—with your body, with your voice, and with your brain.
It's no longer OK to just be "not racist." You have to be actively anti-racist, and there's a growing list of resources available to help you do just that. And what better way to learn than by sticking your nose into a book?
Below, we've compiled a list of 10 books—many of which are bestsellers—by Black authors that will give you a much more thorough understanding of how deeply racism runs in the United States.
Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins
In this 1990 book, author and academic Patricia Hill Collins takes a deeper look at the works of Black feminist thinkers like Angela Davis, bell hooks, Alice Walker, and Audre Lorde.
▲Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Dr. Brittney Cooper
Dr. Brittney Cooper examines and validates the rage that Black women are so often encouraged to hide from white peers.
▲Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
This memoir by Kiese Laymon takes a personal look at how race affects everyday life and how our nation has failed Black people.
▲How to Be An Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
In order to begin undoing hundreds of years of systematic racism in America, non-Black people must learn how to be actively antiracist. Dr. Ibram X. Kendi challenges us to ponder what an antiracist world would look like and how to take the first steps there.
▲Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race by Beverly Daniel Tatum
In just about any "diverse" school, students tend to group together within their own race. In this book, Beverly Daniel Tatum searches for the root of that self-segregation.
▲I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
In her first memoir, poet Maya Angelou recounts bigotry through the lens of her childhood.
▲Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
A true story about our broken justice system, told by one of the country's most admirable lawyers.
▲Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
An important resource for white people who want to unlearn their biases and focus on becoming better allies.
▲Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall
Although society has made strides in regards to modern feminism, it too often overlooks the plight of women of color. This book looks at the Black women who made incomparable contributions to the feminist movement.
▲So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Honest, candid conversations about race are desperately needed in order to move towards an antiracist society. This book encourages just that, giving an eye-opening perspective on race relations, no matter what race you identify with.
▲