‘When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir’ by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele
When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir’ by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele
A poetic memoir and reflection on humanity–necessary and timely, this story asks us to remember that protest in the interest of the most vulnerable comes from love. Leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement have been called terrorists, a threat to America, when they are loving women whose life experiences have led them to seek justice for those victimized by the powerful. This is an empowering account of survival, strength, and resilience that seeks to change the culture that declares innocent black life expendable.
Buy (from a NYC black owned book store)
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How to Argue With a Racist: History, Science, Race and Reality by Adam Rutherford
Book: How to Argue With A Racist
A vital manifesto for a twenty-first century understanding of human evolution and variation, and a timely weapon against the misuse of science to justify bigotry. Stereotypes and myths about race are expressed not just by overt racists, but also by well-intentioned people whose experience and cultural baggage steer them towards views that are not supported by the modern study of human genetics. Even some scientists are uncomfortable expressing opinions deriving from their research where it relates to race. Yet, if understood correctly, science and history can be powerful allies against racism, granting the clearest view of how people actually are, rather than how we judge them to be.
How to Be an Antiracist’ by Ibram X. Kendi
Book: How to be an Antiracist
Ibram X. Kendi’s concept of antiracism reenergizes and reshapes the conversation about racial justice in America–but even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. Instead of working with the policies and system we have in place, Kendi asks us to think about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it. If you want to go beyond just the awareness of racism and begin contributing to the formation of a truly just and equitable society, this is the book for you. Weaving together an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science–including the story of his own awakening to antiracism–to bring it all together in a clear and accessible form.
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White Privilege The Myth of a Post-Racial Society by Kalwant Bhopa
Book: White Privilege
An important question everyone should be asking right now is HOW, after decades of civil rights activism, do people from black and minority ethnic communities continue to be marginalized? One of the major features of politics in the past few years has been a renewed attention to race as a driving factor in both politics and everyday life. In White Privilege, Kalwant Bhopal draws on social science research and political and economic analysis to show how people from black and minority backgrounds are continually positioned as outsiders in public discourse and interpersonal interaction. Bhopal’s book is rooted in dispassionate analysis, but its message is unmistakable—the structural advantages of whiteness are widespread, and dismantling them will require both honesty about their power and determination to change them.
Buy (from a NYC black owned book store)
Buy From Amazon
Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
Book: Me and White Supremacy
Me and White Supremacy, “the 28-Day Challenge to Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor” leads readers through a journey of understanding their white privilege and participation in white supremacy, so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on black, indigenous and people of color, and in turn, help other white people do better, too. The book goes beyond the original workbook by adding more historical and cultural contexts, sharing moving stories and anecdotes, and includes expanded definitions, examples, and further resources.
Buy (from a NYC black owned bookstore)
Also check out the recommendations by Rachel Cargle here!
-Leah Flannery
