There are a lot of questions about race right now and though I am heartbroken about how we’ve gotten here, I am hopeful that now that we’re here, we make a little progress in the right direction for a change.
The following are three fantastic books about racism that I recommend to anyone who is looking to be a part of the solution.
1-WHY ARE ALL THE BLACK KIDS SITTING TOGETHER IN THE CAFETERIA?
I studied this book way back when I was in college, but it is still very relevant today. Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist with a research interest in Black children’s racial identity development. She has been teaching and speaking about racism for decades and she has a lot of information to share. You will find that the information she provides is incredibly valuable and eye-opening.
2-WHITE FRAGILITY: WHY IT’S SO HARD FOR WHITE PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT RACISM
This book is written by a white person to white people. She explains how white people are raised to not see ourselves in racial terms and how our opinions are uninformed. And she provides excellent information and examples to help chip away the shell that is blinding us from the reality of the world around us. White friends, you will find that when we are engaged in racial justice, we are actually liberating ourselves as well. It is not a long book, but it is meaty!
3-RAISING WHITE KIDS: BRINGING UP CHILDREN IN A RACIALLY UNJUST AMERICA
Jennifer Harvey is a white mom who took the challenge of raising her white daughter to be anti-racist to heart. She specifically addresses the debilitating power of white guilt in her book. I appreciate this because I think many well-intentioned white people fall into this trap at some point. Guilt is paralyzing. And when we let that guilt take over, we can’t move. We don’t move. And then nothing is being done. I appreciate that she looks at issues, particularly with parenting, and cracks them open so we can digest them.
If you are just getting started on your anti-racism journey, I hope these help point you in the right direction. Racism is real. And it is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. I have been studying and working hard on a middle grade novel that I hope will one day help progress the topic further. We’re all in this together, friends. Big or small, our efforts matter.
