Anti-Racism Resources

This guide attempts to provide a starting point to learn about anti-racism, anti-oppression, inclusion, and privilege. It is not an exhaustive list of all literature or research. 

Definition: Anti-racism is the work of actively opposing racism by advocating for changes in political, economic, and social life. Anti-racism tends to be an individualized approach, and set up in opposition to individual racist behaviors and impacts. (https://neaedjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Racial-Justice-in-Education.pdf)

This is a selection of books that the library offers. Please talk with a librarian if you need help finding more resources. 

Non-fiction

• Beyond Racial Gridlock: Embracing Mutual Responsibility by George Yancey
• Reconciling All Things: A Christian Vision For Justice, Peace & Healing by Emmanuel Katongole & Chris Rice.
• ​How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
• So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
• Good White People: The Problem With Middle-Class White Anti-Racism by Shannon Sullivan
• Ain't I A Woman: Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks
• Bearing Witness: Selections From African-American Autobiography In The 20th Century edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
• White Self-Criticality Beyond Anti-Racism: How Does It Feel To Be A White Problem edited by George Yancy
• Killing Trayvons: An Anthology Of American Violence edited by Kevin Alexander Gray, Jeffrey St. Clair, JoAnn Wypijewski
• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age Of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
• Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings That Formed The Movement edited by Kimberle Crenshaw
• Blackballed: The Black And White Politices Of Race On America's Campuses by Lawrence Ross
• Neither Jew Nor Gentile: Exploring Issues Of Racial Diversity On Protestant College Campuses by George Yancey
• This Bridge Called My Back: Writing By Radical Women Of Color edited by Cherrie Moraga and Gloria Anzaldua 

Memoirs

• Between The World & Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
  • E185.615 .C6335 2015
• What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir In Essays by Damon Young
  • E185.97.Y632 A3 2019
• ​Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
  • KF373.S74 A3 2014
• I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
  • PS3551 .N464 Z466 2015

Fiction

• White Teeth by Zadie Smith
  • PR6069.M59 W47 2001
• Things Fall Apart by Cinua Achebe (also available as an eBook)
  • PR9387.9.A3 T536 2011
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
  • PS3515.U789 T639 1990
• Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
  • PS3555.L625 I58 1981
• For colored girls who have considered suicide, when the rainbow is enuf by Ntozake Shange
  • PS3569.H3324 F67 2010
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
  • PS3573.A425 C6 1965
• The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
  • PS3573.H4768 U53 2016

Graphic Novels

• ​Yummy: The Last Days Of A Southside Shorty by G. Neri; illustrated by Randy DuBurke
  • CMC F548.9.N4 N47 2010
• Monster by Walter Dean Myers; illustrated by Christopher Myers
  • CMC. PS 3563 .Y48 .M66 1999
• A Wreath For Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson; illustrated by Philippe Lardy
  • CMC. PS 3573 .A4795 .W73 2005
• Pitch Black: Don't Be Skerd by Youme Landowne and Anthony Horton
  • HV4506.N7 Y68 2008
• The Silence Of Our Friends by Mark Long & Jim Demonakos; art by Nate Powell
  • PN6727.L67 S55 2012
• Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Damian Duffy and John Jennings; introduction by Nnedi Okorafor
  • PS3552.U827 .K56 2017

eBooks

• Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde. 
• The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
• The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism For the 21st Century by Grace Lee Boggs, Scott Kurashige.
• Readings for Racial Justice, a collection of eBooks temporarily available to read online from the University of Minnesota Press.

Children / Young Adult

• The library has several Coretta Scott King award-winning books like these:
  • Underground by Shane W. Evans
    • ​CMC E450 .E94 2011
  • ​Heart & Soul: The Story Of American & African Americans by Kadir Nelson
    • ​CMC E185 .N427 2001
  • ​​The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
    • CMC PS3620.H62463 H38 2017

Many journals and periodicals include articles relevant to ethnic studies research. Listed below are a selection of journals on the topic. The links will take you to a database where you can search for articles in these journals as well as many others. 

Asian American Journal of Psychiatry

• Official publication of the Asian American Psychological Association and dedicated to research, practice, advocacy, education, and policy within Asian American psychology.

Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology

• Publishes theoretical, conceptual, research, and case study articles that promote the development of knowledge and understanding, application of psychological principles, and scholarly analysis of social-political forces affecting racial and ethnic minorities.

Journal of Black Studies

• Peer-reviewed journal containing research on the Black experience and offering important and intellectually provocative articles exploring key issues facing African Americans.

Journal of Race, Ethnicity, & Religion

• A peer-reviewed journal that, according to its mission statement, "challenges the prevailing assumption that the present religious scholarly landscape, rooted in Eurocentric thought, is the pinnacle of academic excellence."

Ethnic & Racial Studies

• Highlights a variety of interdisciplinary viewpoints on topics related to race, ethnicity, and nationalism.

Harvard Journal on Racial & Ethnic Justice (also known as Harvard Blackletter Law Journal)

• Annual publication edited by students at Harvard Law School addressing social and economic issues affecting racial and ethnic minorities and includes works by minority scholars and students.

Race & Class

• A journal on racism and imperialism in the world today with a global outlook and lonstanding multidisciplinary approach.

Race, Gender & Class 

• Peer-reviewed journal containing contributions from scientists, artists, novelists, journalists, politicians and black and Third World activists and scholars.

Anti-Racism In The Renewing Of Christian Worship 

• Contains a collection of resources drawn from the past decade from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. 

1619 Project 

• An ongoing project from the New York Times Magazine with the goal of re-examining the legacy of slavery in the United States. 

Black Thought & Culture

• A collection of non-fiction writings by major American black leaders—teachers, artists, politicians, religious leaders, athletes, war veterans, entertainers, and other figures—covering 250 years of history.

Reading About Race 

• Free YA book club resources created by librarians and literature scholars from the American Library Association.

MUSE in Focus: Confronting Structural Racism

• A selection of temporarily free books and articles from a wide range of publishers and perspectives about the history of racism in America, its endurance throughout society, and how the country can respond now to enact meaningful and lasting reform.

Institutionalized Racism: A Syllabus from JSTOR 

• Includes multimedia articles published over the course of JSTOR Daily’s five years intended to help students understand institutionalized racism. 

Structural Racism and Police Violence: Causes, Impact, and Reform

• A collection from SAGE Journals of freely accessible social and behavioral science research about structural racism and police brutality. Articles cover topics including race and policing, how to address and discuss racism, activism, healthcare and inequality, and more.

Disrupting Whiteness in Libraries and Librarianship: A Reading List

• This bibliography contains citations and links (when available) to resources focused on race, racism, and disrupting whiteness and white supremacy in libraries. 

Black Lives Matter Comics Reading List

• A selection of graphic novels and comics drawing attention to the Black experiences of the past and present compiled by groups within the American Library Association.

Reading For Change

• Booklist-recommended anti-racism reading list for all ages separated by reading levels.

Black Lives Matter At School - Resources

• From the National Education Association (NEA), this webpage includes resources to help facilitate conversations about race, including classroom appropriate lesson plans, guides on how to have tough conversations with peers and students, and more.

Resources for Race Relations - CRCNA

• The Christian Reformed Church of North America staff compiled resources for race relations in the church.

Many media organizations and activists have also compiled lists of resources. Examples include:

• Anti-racism resources compiled by writer Sarah Sophie Flicker and activist and filmmaker Alyssa Klein, published May 2020. These resources include articles, books, podcasts, films, social media accounts, organizations, etc.
• Elle magazine's Black History Books Reading List
• The Chicago Sun Times compiled a list of 43 Books on Racism.