Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde
I was a sophomore in high school when I first read this, and words cannot do justice to describe Audre Lorde’s powerful, love-filled writing. In this collection of essays and speeches published in 1984, she focuses on intersectional feminism and her struggle as a Black, lesbian woman. She calls out White women for their racism in the women’s liberation movement and talks about the misogyny and homophobia she’s encountered in Black communities. She highlights different forms of prejudice and oppression that stretch across different groups, and reclaims sexuality and self-love as weapons against the patriarchy.
Women, Race & Class by Angela Davis
This book is a study of the feminist movement in the U.S. and how efforts often ignored the struggles of women of color. Davis talks about how the anti-rape movement excludes Black women, the forced sterilization of WOC from different backgrounds and so many other topics that aren’t inside the White feminist bubble.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Hate U Give is a novel about a Black teenage girl who encounters racism and police brutality, and the activism that results from her witnessing her friend being murdered by the police. It is a must-read to further understand the problem of police brutality and White privilege both inside and outside police departments, and accountability that should take place.