Extra Extra Read All About It

I have always loved to read. As a kid I devoured books at a rate that ate through our small town library's collection rapidly - but I didn't mind, I just read them again. Part of the joy of a story, to me, is sharing it, so I followed my mum around the house and recounted everything I read. I'm not naturally good at summarizing (didn't Flannery O'Connor say something about the story having the necessary words?) so she knows a lot of books she hasn't technically read herself.

Since what is endearing in a child is frowned upon in an adult, I mostly keep my bookish thoughts to myself (with the exception of a monthly book club). But after being a part of a few protests in June, I saw a use for my speed reading and book sharing - book reviewing. There is a dizzying selection of literature that can help us (that is, white people) navigate the racial issues that plague our society, but it can be hard to know where to start. We're also all unique in how we process new information, so an objectively good book isn't necessarily universally helpful.

I've included content warnings to help people avoid elements that might turn them off from the main message, as well as a suggestion for who the book might help. My personal favorites are marked with a *. I'd love to hear your thoughts if you read any of these, and if there are any you think I should add to this list, please let me know!

I haven't included links for the books because I'd really love for you to get them from a local bookstore or library if you can.

Finally, if this list is itself too overwhelming, start here:

If Christian faith informs your worldview/decision making paradigm/cultural identity, read:
- Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
- The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby
- White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

Otherwise, read:
- How to be Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi
- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
- The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

History/perspective

Be the Bridge by Latasha Morrison

Content notice: Christian author

This book encourages the reader to build a bridge toward racial unity, providing evidence for why that is a necessary and worthy pursuit, as well as concrete steps to take in that direction. Also look up the Be the Bridge organization and podcast for a community that's taking those steps.

Read this if you're feeling paralyzed

White Awake by Daniel Hill

Content notice: Christian author, white author

A pastor's journey of self discovery, this book shares his stories and personal revelations alongside data that affirms his conclusions.

Read this if you didn't choose to be born white

Woke Church by Eric Mason

Content notice: Christian author

This book blends story, statistics, and sound theology to make a biblical case for the need for the big C Church to open its eyes to the reality of racism.

Read this if you are (or are appealing to) a white evangelical

Prophetic Lament by Soong-Chan Rah

Content notice: Christian author

This is a study through the book of Lamentations, with commentary on the flawed "triumphalism" that infects the American church and culture at large. Several other books I read referenced this one as being an important part of their journey toward antiracism, as it provides a useful first step that is often overlooked - lament.

Read this if you've never owned a slave

*Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X Kendi

Content notice: descriptions of brutalization of Black bodies

This book is dense, thorough, and well-researched. Beginning in 1619, when the first slaves were brought to the US, and ending during Barack Obama's presidency (when the book was published), it covers in painful detail all of the ways that American culture is rooted in (and responsible for) racism. 

Read this if you're ready to have your heroes thrown off their pedestals 

Barracoon by Zora Neal Hurston

This is an interview with the last surviving former slave, brought to the US fifty years after the slave trade was officially abolished. Stories and memories from his life are interspersed with yard work and errands. The author tried to maintain his original speech as much as possible, making this a slightly difficult (but still very worthwhile) read at times.

Read this if you want a first hand account of slavery

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

This book brings the work of the NASA "computers" who put man on the moon to light. I learned so much about aerospace in addition to the racial and gender issues (the computers were all women), and it sent me down a research rabbit hole. There is a movie version with Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, and Kevin Costner that's very good, but it is not a replacement for reading the book.

Read this if you don't understand the big deal

*The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby

Content notice: Christian author

This book traces America's history, specifically highlighting the American evangelical church's choices and omissions that have contributed to the racist ideologies we see in our country today. The last section is a series of practical steps that can be taken by either individuals or churches as groups.

Read this if you think the evangelical church is above all of this

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

This is a dense but important read on the War on Drugs and subsequent policies, and their negative effects on the Black community. It's predominately stats and court cases which made it a slightly difficult read (for me, at least). Maybe try pairing with Ava DuVernay's 2016 Netflix documentary 13th.

Read this if you don't believe the system is stacked against Black people

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

This is a series of stories and observation from his early career as a lawyer for wrongfully condemned people on death row which led Bryan Stevenson to found the Equal Justice Initiative. Thoughtfully written with a readable balance of data and story. There's also an excellent movie version with Michael B Jordan and Bree Larson that came out in 2019.

Read this if you'd like a gentle introduction to the criminal injustice system

*How to Be Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi

Content notice: language

This book travels through different aspects and forms of racism with historical and statistical data, as well as personal stories of the author's own racist moments. While his story is interwoven chronologically, the topical nature of each chapter allows this to be used as a reference manual, as well.

Read this if you are all in

So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo

Content notice: language

Imagine every question you've ever wanted to ask a Black person, but have been afraid to lest you offend. This book answers those questions. The answers are not gentle, but they are the answers the author has given when asked.

Read this if you have questions you're afraid to ask

Me and White Supremacy by Layla F Saad

Originally a 28 day Instagram challenge, this is four weeks' worth of daily mini lessons with personal reflection prompts. Designed to help people process and alter their own perspectives without leaning on the emotional labor of BIPOC (Black/indigenous/people of color), it would also be a good starter point for discussion with other white people on the same journey.

Read this if you prefer inner work

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

Content notice: white author

While this book is referenced by quite a few of the others on this list, I discovered while researching that it is also controversial (a white author centering the white experience). I respectfully suggest, as a white person, that it is filled with valuable information - provided that information is applied to affect change, and that you also make sure to read books by Black authors.

Read this if you're not a racist

Bread for the Resistance by Donna Barber

Content notice: Christian author

This book is 40 daily devotions for justice seekers. Scripture is referenced but not included (I like this because it allows me to reference my preferred translation) and the lessons are both timely and timeless (only two specifically reference recent events).

Read this if you're all in but also discouraged

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehasi Coates

This is a memoir in the form of a letter to the author's teenaged son. The story is deeply personal, as he shares moments from his life, moments which he wants his son to learn from or to understand.

Read this instead of asking your Black coworker about their experiences

*Where to Begin by Cleo Wade

This book is a poetic reflection "for those who are ready to be part of building a society rooted in love, acceptance, justice, and equality." Poems alternate with brief essays and reflections, making this an easy but impactful read.

Read this if you're really struggling with all of the everything

The Color of Water by James McBride

Two for one - this memoir is both interviews with the author's mother, born a Jew in Poland in the 1920s, and his own childhood memories of growing up in New York City in the 60s and 70s. Their insights and experiences make for an interesting read.

Read this to expand your perspective

Fiction

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Content notice: descriptions of brutalization of Black bodies

This novel follows the descendants of two Ghanian sisters for eight generations, the family of one being enslaved and brought to the US and the others staying in Ghana. It is not an uplifting beach read, but it is a good concise summary of the negative and far reaching effects of slavery.

Read this if you're struggling with the chronology and/or recentness of slavery's effects

*Kindred by Octavia Butler

Content notice: descriptions of brutalization of Black bodies

This brilliantly written novel combines science fiction with history. The story follows a modern day (modern to the 1970s, when the book was published) Black woman and her white husband, as she is repeatedly ripped backward in time to save the life of two of her ancestors, one a slave and the other a plantation owner.

Read this for a journey of discovery

*Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

YA fantasy, first in a trilogy. The author chose to process recent (and not so recent) events through the lens of a fantasy novel, and created a deeply compelling story about oppression, power, and magic. She also thoughtfully includes a brief note at the end, in case you need help connecting the dots. I have the second book on my desk to read in the near future, but the third book isn't out yet.

Read this if your love language is story