I know, we've all seen those list of important books for being anti-racist and learning about racism. But it is important, and my list doesn't focus solely on Black Lives Matter, but on racial/religious/class inequality in general. Learning to be anti-racist is a process and it takes work. So check out these five books to expand your worldview.
Starting off "less controversial", is this book by a former student/current teacher/sociologist at the St. Paul's boarding school in New Hampshire. He describes situations of racial, class, and gender inequality that he observed as a teacher and experienced as a person of color at the school. I know many sociology books are so boring, but this one acted almost as a story because he gave real examples of what he was talking about and included conversations with staff and students. 9/10 read. Get it on Amazon for $17.
This book as gained a huge amount of traction in the last few months, following the murder of George Floyd and the outcry for police reform and racial equality. I think this might be the most important book on this list, and I want so badly for every single one of my ignorant friends to pick up a copy. The idea of "white fragility" that Robin DiAngelo discusses has me looking at my own life and thinking about how to be actively anti-racist and how to call out my racist friends. 10/10 read. Get it on Amazon for $10.
Mass incarceration. Yeah, it's a thing. It's a thing we need to talk about because the majority of Americans either don't know about it or they deny that it's happening. Whether you're liberal or conservative this is a book we should all read just to educate ourselves. Get it on Amazon for $14.
This book is dense, but so good. It's important to understand how segregation way back when led to segregation that is still real and relevant now. Much like mass incarceration, redlining is a topic that isn't talked about enough considering how much it affects communities of color. Get it on Amazon for $11.
Something we use every single day might be one of the biggest racism-reinforcers of all: the internet. Many claim that the internet has unbiased information, but that's not true. I learned so much from this book and it's another one that I think everyone should read. Get it on Amazon for $26.