Although Black History Month recently ended, our work to become a more inclusive, open, accepting, anti-racist society, proceeds every single day. We need to actively be anti-racist. One of the best ways to educate yourself on how to actively be anti-racist in our current society is to learn the best ways to contribute to improving it. How can anything be done if we don’t educate ourselves, consciously be aware of our actions and do our best to improve the situation in the best way possible? It all counts. Here are some books to help educate you on how to be anti-racist, about race in America, and about the institutionalized racism within American society.
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
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“Hailed by Toni Morrison as “required reading,” a bold and personal literary exploration of America’s racial history by “the most important essayist in a generation and a writer who changed the national political conversation about race” – Rolling Stone
- Breathe: A Letter to My Sons by Imani Perry
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“Breathe is a parent’s unflinching demand, born of inherited trauma and love, for her children’s right simply to be possible.”
—The New York Times“In Breathe, Perry offers a lyrical meditation that connects a painful, proud history of African American struggle with a clarion call for present-day action to protect, defend, and celebrate the promise of the next generation.”
–Stacey Abrams, founder and chair of Fair Fight Action, Inc. - Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
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“With poise and clarity, Kendall lays out the case for why feminists need to fight not just for career advancement but also for basic needs and issues that often plague women of color, including food security, educational access, a living wage and safety from gun violence. In expertly tying the racial justice and feminist movements together, Kendall’s is one of the most important books of the current moment.”
— Time, “100 Must-Read Books of 2020”“Beautifully centers on the experience of women who face an actual battle on the front lines while mainstream feminists clamor for access to the officers’ club.”
–The Washington Post - How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
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“Kendi dissects why in a society where so few people consider themselves to be racist the divisions and inequalities of racism remain so prevalent. How to Be an Antiracist punctures the myths of a post-racial America, examining what racism really is–and what we should do about it.”— Time
From the issues black men have to deal with in societies, to the interesctional feminism, to the barriers many families have to overcome, to learning how to be antiracist, this book selection is powerful. Being able to educate yourself, understand race in the world around us and learn what you can do about it in your everyday life is a powerful tool to have and it is imperative that we each use our knowledge and tools to create and do better. I hope this article inspires you to just that :)