Antiracist Book List

“The term 'antiracist' refers to people who are actively seeking not only to raise their consciousness about race and racism, but also to take action when they see racial power inequities in everyday life. Being an antiracist is much different from just being 'nonracist,' as Black antiracist Marlon James made clear. Being a nonracist means you can have beliefs against racism, but when it comes to events like the murders of Black men by police, 'you can watch things at home unfolding on TV, but not do a thing about it.' According to James, being an antiracist means that you are developing a different moral code, one that pairs a commitment to not being racist (whether verbalized or not) with action to protest and end the racist things you see in the world. I would add that saying you aren’t a racist isn’t enough to start healing from racism. You need the intentional mindset of 'Yep, this racism thing is everyone’s problem—including mine, and I’m going to do something about it."

—Anneliese A. Singh, Ph.D., LPC, author of The Racial Healing Handbook

 

This list of books is meant to be helpful for those who want to begin the hard work of moving from nonracist to antiracism. The first books on the list are for adults and older readers, while the end of the list highlights books for kids.

**Please note that many titles are backordered due to high demand across the country, and may take a few weeks to come in. We appreciate your patience and support.

Resources

National Museum of African American History and Culture

White Supremacy Culture

Racial Healing Handbook- Being Antiracist

Addressing Racial Privilege: A Mental Model for White Anti-Racists

Robin DiAngelo, PhD., author of White Fragility: many good articles and TED talks, including a free White Fragility Readers Guide

Southern Poverty Law Center

The 1619 Project (NYTimes)

Books: 
How to Be an Antiracist By Ibram X. Kendi Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9780525509288
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: One World - August 13th, 2019

“A boldly articulated, historically informed explanation of what exactly racist ideas and thinking are . . . [Kendi’s] prose is thoughtful, sincere, and polished. This powerful book will spark many conversations.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)


Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor By Layla Saad, Robin DiAngelo (Foreword by) Cover Image
By Layla Saad, Robin DiAngelo (Foreword by)
$25.99
ISBN: 9781728209807
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Sourcebooks - January 28th, 2020

An indispensable resource for white people who want to challenge white supremacy but don't know where to begin. She moves her readers from their heads into their hearts, and ultimately, into their practice.


Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America By Ibram X. Kendi Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9781568585987
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Bold Type Books - August 15th, 2017

Uses the life stories of five major American intellectuals to offer a window into the contentious debates between assimilationists and segregationists and between racists and antiracists. From Puritan minister Cotton Mather to Thomas Jefferson, from fiery abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison to brilliant scholar W.E.B. Du Bois to legendary anti-prison activist Angela Davis, Kendi shows how and why some of our leading proslavery and pro-civil rights thinkers have challenged or helped cement racist ideas in America.


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Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning By Jason Reynolds, Ibram X. Kendi Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780316453691
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers - March 10th, 2020

I don’t know who thought of having Jason Reynolds and Ibram X Kendie collaborate on a young people’s edition of Stamped from the Beginning, but it was genius! Reynolds presents the facts from the adult version in a way that is accessible and interesting for younger adults (or for older adults who feel intimidated by the more intense book.) He cogently explains how western culture in general, and United States culture in particular had racism baked in from the very earliest days. There aren’t many books that change your life, but this one has the power to do so. 


White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide By Carol Anderson Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781632864130
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Bloomsbury USA - September 5th, 2017

As Ann Patchett says, "Truly, I couldn't put it down. [White Rage] draws a razor-sharp line from the Civil War to Trayvon Martin with all the stops in between. If you want context for . . . the life we're living in this country right this minute, I urge you to pick up a copy. [Its] 160 pages have the power to change your life."


So You Want to Talk About Race By Ijeoma Oluo Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781580058827
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Seal Press - September 24th, 2019

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White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism By Dr. Robin DiAngelo, Michael Eric Dyson (Foreword by) Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9780807047415
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Beacon Press - June 26th, 2018

It isn’t often that you read a book that changes your entire perspective on the world. This book did that for me. Written by a white woman for white people who want to do the hard work of looking at themselves to make things better now.
If you have ever said (or thought) I can’t be racist because:

•    I was raised to treat everyone equally
•    I don’t see color
•    I have lots of Black friends
•    I marched in the 60s
•    I voted for Obama
then, please read this book.


A People's History of the United States By Howard Zinn Cover Image
$22.99
ISBN: 9780062397348
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Harper Perennial Modern Classics - November 17th, 2015

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The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America By Richard Rothstein Cover Image
$17.95
ISBN: 9781631494536
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Liveright - May 1st, 2018

Debunking the thought train of de facto segregation in the 20th century and today, Richard Rothstein gives a comprehensive yet readable list of precisely the legislative, de jure, acts of government which segregated America and continue to do so today. Rothstein reminds us not to forget the incredible and very real history of written legal racism in this country and the dangers that come with ignoring our judicial and legislative mistakes. Must read if you haven't already been assigned it. 


Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower By Brittney Cooper Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9781250112880
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Picador - March 5th, 2019

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Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City By Matthew Desmond Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780553447453
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Crown - February 28th, 2017

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race By Beverly Daniel Tatum Cover Image
$21.99
ISBN: 9780465060689
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Basic Books - September 5th, 2017

killing rage: Ending Racism By bell hooks Cover Image
$19.00
ISBN: 9780805050271
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Holt Paperbacks - October 15th, 1996

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot By Mikki Kendall Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9780525560548
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Viking - February 25th, 2020

March: Book One By John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (Illustrator) Cover Image
By John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (Illustrator)
$14.95
ISBN: 9781603093002
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Top Shelf Productions - August 13th, 2013

An African American and Latinx History of the United States (ReVisioning History #4) By Paul Ortiz Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780807005934
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Beacon Press - December 11th, 2018

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir in Essays By Damon Young Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9780062684318
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Ecco - January 14th, 2020

Native Son: A Novel By Richard Wright Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780060837563
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Harper Perennial Modern Classics - January 10th, 2023

When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir By Patrisse Cullors, asha bandele Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781250306906
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: St. Martin's Griffin - January 14th, 2020

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Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations By Mira Jacob Cover Image
$22.00
ISBN: 9780399589065
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: One World - March 24th, 2020

I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness By Austin Channing Brown Cover Image
$25.00
ISBN: 9781524760854
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Convergent Books - May 15th, 2018

This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do The Work (Empower the Future #1) By Tiffany Jewell, Aurelia Durand (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Tiffany Jewell, Aurelia Durand (Illustrator)
$14.99
ISBN: 9780711245211
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Frances Lincoln Children's Books - January 7th, 2020

"This book is written for the young person who doesn't know how to speak up to the racist adults in their life. For the 14-year-old who sees injustice at school and isn't able to understand the role racism plays in separating them from their friends. For the kid who spends years trying to fit into the dominant culture and loses themselves for a little while. It's for all of the Black and Brown children who have been harmed (physically and emotionally) because no one stood up for them or they couldn't stand up for themselves; because the colour of their skin, the texture of their hair, their names made white folx feel scared and threatened. It is written so children and young adults will feel empowered to stand up to the adults who continue to close doors in their faces. This book will give them the language and ability to understand racism and a drive to undo it. In short, it is for everyone."


Not My Idea: A Book about Whiteness (Ordinary Terrible Things) By Anastasia Higginbotham Cover Image
$18.95
ISBN: 9781948340007
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Dottir Press - September 4th, 2018

A young white girl, with the help of her mother, struggles to understand the whys and hows of racism and white supremacy and its long history in the United States, as well as the efforts to combat it.


Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story about Racial Injustice By Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, Ann Hazzard Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781433828546
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Magination Press - March 1st, 2018

After discussing the police shooting of a local black man with their families, Emma and Josh know how to treat a new student who looks and speaks differently than his classmates.


Antiracist Baby Board Book By Ibram X. Kendi, Ashley Lukashevsky (Illustrator) Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9780593110416
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Kokila - June 16th, 2020

A fresh new board book that empowers parents and children to uproot racism in our society and in ourselves.


Let's Talk About Race By Julius Lester, Karen Barbour (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Julius Lester, Karen Barbour (Illustrator)
$8.99
ISBN: 9780064462266
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: HarperCollins - December 23rd, 2008

"This wonderful book should be a first choice for all collections and is strongly recommended as a springboard for discussions about differences.” —School Library Journal (starred review)


Skin Again By bell hooks, Chris Raschka (Illustrator), Chris Raschka (Cover design or artwork by) Cover Image
By bell hooks, Chris Raschka (Illustrator), Chris Raschka (Cover design or artwork by)
$13.99
ISBN: 9781484799239
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers - June 6th, 2017

Celebrating all that makes each person unique and different, this award-winning book, with its myriad of faces, offers new ways to talk about race and identity and introduces a strong message of loving oneself and others sure to appeal to parents of the youngest readers.


Martin Rising: Requiem For a King By Andrea Davis Pinkney, Brian Pinkney (Illustrator) Cover Image
$19.99
Email info@literatibookstore.com or call for price
ISBN: 9780545702539
Published: Scholastic Press - January 2nd, 2018

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices By Wade Hudson (Editor), Cheryl Willis Hudson (Editor) Cover Image
By Wade Hudson (Editor), Cheryl Willis Hudson (Editor)
$10.99
ISBN: 9780525580454
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Yearling - December 31st, 2019

What do we tell our children when the world seems bleak, and prejudice and racism run rampant? With 96 lavishly designed pages of original art and prose, fifty diverse creators lend voice to young activists.