Antiracism: A Starter Booklist

“One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an anti-racist. There is no in-between safe space of 'not racist.'” ― Ibram X. Kendi, How to Be an Antiracist

The following 11 titles, a mix of history, social science, and memoir, offer facts and reflections on systemic racial injustice as well as ways to channel feeling into action.

“The opposite of racist isn't 'not racist.' It is 'anti-racist.' What's the difference? One endorses either the idea of a racial hierarchy as a racist, or racial equality as an anti-racist. One either believes problems are rooted in groups of people, as a racist, or locates the roots of problems in power and policies, as an anti-racist. One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an anti-racist. There is no in-between safe space of 'not racist.'” ― Ibram X. Kendi, How to Be an Antiracist

book covers

The following 11 titles, a mix of history, social science, and memoir, offer facts and reflections on systemic racial injustice as well as ways to channel feeling into action. 

When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Asha Bandele. St. Martin's. ISBN 9781250171085.

Stay Woke: A People’s Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter by Tehama Lopez Bunyasi & Candis Watts Smith. New York Univ. ISBN 9781479874927; ISBN 9781479836482; ISBN 9781479824045. SOC SCI

Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Penguin. ISBN 9780525559535; ISBN 9780525559542. HIST

On Account of Race: The Supreme Court, White Supremacy, and the Ravaging of African American Voting Rights by Lawrence Goldstone. Counterpoint. ISBN 9781640093928. LAW

How To Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. One World Pubs. ISBN 9780525509288; ISBN 9780525509295. SOC SCI

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi. Nation. ISBN 9781568584638; ISBN 9781568584645. HIST

How We Fight White Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance by Akiba Solomon & Kenrya Rankin. Bold Type. ISBN 9781568588490; ISBN 9781568588506. SOC SCI

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award–Winning Stamped from the Beginning by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi. Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316453691.

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein. Liveright. ISBN 9781631492853.

Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F Saad. Sourcebooks. ISBN 9781728209807. SOC SCI

I Can't Breathe: A Killing on Bay Street by Matt Taibbi. Spiegel & Grau. ISBN 9780812988840.

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