Books & Articles
A Talk To Teachers - James Baldwin (Article)
“Let’s begin by saying that we are living through a very dangerous time. Everyone in this room is in one way or another aware of that. We are in a revolutionary situation, no matter how unpopular that word has become in this country. The society in which we live is desperately menaced, not by Khrushchev, but from within. To any citizen of this country who figures himself as responsible – and particularly those of you who deal with the minds and hearts of young people – must be prepared to “go for broke.” 5 Pgs.
Stamped from the Beginning - Ibram X. Kendi
The author’s first book, chronicles the entire story of anti-Black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history, and shows how and why some of our leading proslavery and pro-civil rights thinkers have challenged or helped cement racist ideas in America. 592 pgs.
How to be an Anti-Racist - Ibram X. Kendi
In his second book, “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.” 320 pgs
So You Want to Talk About Race? -Ijeoma Oluo
Hard-hitting but user friendly examination of race in America, attempting to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life. 256 pgs
Unconscious Bias in Schools - Tracey A. Benson/ Sarah E. FiarmanFa
Describes the phenomenon of unconscious racial bias and how it negatively affects the work of educators and students in schools. 224 pgs
Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools - Monique W. Morris
Takes a close look at the educational, judicial and societal disparities facing Black Girls. 256 pgs
Despite the Best Intentions: How Racial Inequality Thrives in Good Schools - Amanda E. Lewis and John B. Diamond
How does racial inequality in educational outcomes persist in an affluent, diverse, well-funded school district in a self-proclaimed racially progressive community? 272 pgs
Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? - Beverly Daniel Tatum
Argues that straight talk about our racial identities is essential if we are serious about enabling communication across racial and ethnic divides. 464 pgs
Not Light But Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in School -Matthew R. Kay
Makes the case that high school classrooms are one of the best places to have those conversations and offers a method for getting them right. 278 pgs
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness - Michelle Alexander
Argues for a much-needed conversation about the wide-ranging social costs and divisive racial impact of our criminal-justice policies. 352 pgs
The Fire Next Time - James Baldwin
“At once a powerful evocation of James Baldwin’s early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice, an intensely personal and provocative document.”128 pgs
We Want to Do More Than Survive - Bettina Love
Inspired by abolitionist methods, author persuasively argues that educators must teach students about racial violence, oppression, and how to make sustainable change in their communities through radical civic initiatives and movements. 197 pgs
Freedom is a Constant Struggle - Angela Davis
“In these newly collected essays, interviews, and speeches, world-renowned activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis illuminates the connections between struggles against state violence and oppression throughout history and around the world.” 176 pages
Sister Outsider - Audre Lorde
“Presenting the essential writings of black lesbian poet and feminist writer Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider celebrates an influential voice in 20th-century literature. In this charged collection of 15 essays and speeches, Lorde takes on sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia, and class and propounds social difference as a vehicle for action and change. Her prose is incisive, unflinching, and lyrical, reflecting struggle but ultimately offering messages of hope.” 192 pages
White Rage - Carol Anderson
“[A] slim but persuasive volume . . . A sobering primer on the myriad ways African American resilience and triumph over enslavement, Jim Crow and intolerance have been relentlessly defied by the very institutions entrusted to uphold our democracy.” – Washington Post
304 pages
Killing Rage: Ending Racism - Bell Hooks
These twenty-three essays are written from a black and feminist perspective, and they tackle the bitter difficulties of racism by envisioning a world without it. They address a spectrum of topics having to do with race and racism in the United States: psychological trauma among African Americans; friendship between black women and white women; anti-Semitism and racism; and internalized racism in movies and the media. And in the title essay, hooks writes about the "killing rage"—the fierce anger of black people stung by repeated instances of everyday racism—finding in that rage a healing source of love and strength and a catalyst for positive change. 288 pages