Since the tragic death of George Floyd last week, many of us are finally realizing how deeply ingrained systemic racism is in our country, and we want to do our part to change that.
Because of the pandemic, more of us are home with more time than ever before to actually educate ourselves. Maybe there’s a reason for this. Reading lists, book clubs and discussion groups are popping up everywhere, giving us an unprecedented opportunity to learn, internalize and make real change.
Here are some great resources I’ve found. There are many more but I don’t want to overwhelm you. Start with one or two of the books in these lists, think about them and discuss them. If you need a Facebook group where you can join like-minded readers, just leave a comment below.
* An Antiracist Reading List from Ibram X. Kendi in the New York Times
* Reading lists, categorized, from Anti-Racism Researcher Victoria Alexander
* The Anti-Racist Reading List from Elle
* The Anti-Racist Book Festival, to be held next year in Washington, DC
* Brene Brown’s interview with Ibram X. Kendi on How to Be an Antiracist
You’ll notice some of the same books mentioned on all the lists, and those are now hard to find. So Time magazine published this:
To support Black owned businesses, try to buy your books from some of these places:
* 28 Black Owned Bookstores You Should Know
I’ve also discovered two fantastic services during the pandemic that I don’t think I’ll ever give up, and both have been sources for books I wasn’t able to buy/borrow anywhere else.
* I adore Scribd, which lets you read (and listen to) an unlimited number of books for $9.99/month. They have a huge collection of all genres, and I downloaded Stamped from the Beginning and White Fragility this morning. I can’t tell you how many books I’ve already read in the past couple of months, thanks to Scribd.
* I also finally got into Audible, which my friends have been raving about for years. I didn’t know if I would enjoy listening to books rather than reading them but I loved listening to American Dirt and was so moved by reader, Yareli Arizmendi, I am still thinking about it. I will be listening to How to Be An Anti-Racist on Audible.
Once you/we start reading and internalizing what we learn, here are some other great resources to take actions. Some actions are as easy as donating, signing petitions and writing to elected officials.
* 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
* Here’s What You Can Do to Demand Justice for Black Lives and Support Protestors Right Now
* Watch President Obama at 5 p.m. Eastern time today as he participates in a Town Hall on this subject. If you can’t tune in, visit Obama.org for so much more information.
This can be a turning point in this country’s history but it’s up to us. Let’s rise to the challenge together.
Leave a Reply