No one becomes “not racist,” despite a tendency by Americans to identify themselves that way. We can only strive to be “antiracist” on a daily basis, to continually rededicate ourselves to the lifelong task of overcoming our country’s racist heritage.
Ibram X. Kendi, author of Stamped from the Beginning and How to be an Antiracist, created this Antiracist Reading List in the summer of 2019. It was useful then and feels especially necessary right now. Kendi describes the reasons why he recommends each book rather than just summarizing each title. He chooses books that may be difficult or challenging because they force us to encounter the world from a different perspective. Read through his Reading List and come back to this post to see what the library has available either in print or online. You can access print books from the library through our new curbside service (use the request it button in the catalog and you’ll be contacted to schedule a pick up time), and if you need help accessing the online versions, please ask a librarian.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, also available as an Ebook or Audiobook
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, also available as an Ebook or Audiobook
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley
Dying of Whiteness : How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland by Jonathan M. Metzl, also available as an Ebook
Black Marxism : The Making of the Black Radical Tradition by Cedric J. Robinson available as an Ebook
How We Get Free : Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective edited and introduced by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor available as an Ebook
Well-read black girl : finding our stories, discovering ourselves : an anthology edited by Glory Edim available as an Ebook
Redefining Realness : My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock, also available as an Audiobook
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde, also available as an Ebook or an Audiobook