Literary Programs Year-Round / November 16-17 Festival

Recommended reading about racism in the United States

By TBF Staff on

Right now, people are wondering what they can do to not only better understand the racism faced by Black communities in the United States on a daily basis but also how to support anti-racist initiatives and organizations in their neighborhoods and cities. We want to share a few resources to help the TBF audience grow consciousness and responsiveness by better understanding the history of racism in this country. Our selected resources show our response to the crisis faced by many communities of color across the nation. 

Email us at bookfest@texasbookfestival.org if there are any additional resources we’ve missed that you think we should share.

@WellReadBlackGirl, a monthly book club focused on sharing the work of black writers (see the club’s full reading list here):

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Thank you for tagging #wellreadblackgirl and sharing your book pics – the #WRBG timeline is 🔥👏🏾😍 Excellent recommendation from @stewartdantec 📚 ・・・ If you are looking for a book to read during this time of distancing, this is your book. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Part memoir, part manifesto, part history, @austinchanning takes readers on a journey of remaking democracy. As the promise of equality have run hollow in the lives of African-Americans, Brown fights for a way forward that has black dignity at the heart of a better world. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This is indeed a brilliant and landmark book of race, religion, and politics that is apart of a long tradition of black thinkers dreaming a new world. YOU WANT TO READ THIS BOOK! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #austinchanningbrown #wellreadblackgirl #blackwriters #wrbg #wellreadblackgirls

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Recommended reading from The Stacks podcast (see their Bookshop.org list of 50+ nonfiction books here).

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I don’t even know where to start. • • We have to stop being ok with the White terrorism that is America. We have to stop being ok with executions of black bodies becoming a normal part of our social media feeds. We do ourselves a disservice if we don’t understand our history. If we think this is new. If we think this is normal. • • If you’re Black: I see you. I feel you. I’m exhausted too. We are beautiful. We are worthy. We matter. If you’re not Black: stop the performative solidarity and figure out what you can do. Work on yourself. Work on your community. Support the people who are doing the work. Get okay with the idea that if change is to come, you’re going to have to readjust your relationship to your privilege. • • I just put together a list of 50+ nonfiction books that deal in anti-Black racism and anti-racism. This stack is just the tip of the iceberg. • • Please share your favorite books that deal in anti-Black racism. • • Keep reading. Do the work. #thestacks

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Anti-racism reads from @movingpartspsychotherapy on Instagram:

Recommendations from Tiffany Jewell, author of This Book is Anti-Racist. Visit her Instagram profile for more recommendations and resources.

Recommendations and resources from @southasians4blacklives:

Recommended books and articles from @expansive.hd: 

Recommendations shared by followers of artist @jane_mount on Instagram (here’s the full Bookshop.org list):

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thank you all *so* much, for such a great list of antiracism books. there were so many (and are still so many others I could’ve included!) that I limited it to only non-fiction (I’ll do a separate fiction one later!) and still you can see I had to squeeze them in. 📚 if you are overwhelmed, please don’t be!! start with one in the middle like Ijeoma Oluo’s So You Want to Talk About Race, Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Antiracist, and Layla Saad’s Me and White Supremacy. If you are a young reader, the two outside leaning ones on the right are particularly for you (Tiffany Jewell’s This Book Is Anti-Racist and Kendi and Jason Reynold’s Stamped), but don’t feel limited! 📚 any other suggestions or comments, please comment below for everyone! hope this is helpful ❤️. 📚 yes you can repost the image as long as you don’t alter it in any way and tag me in the image and in your caption! 📚 extra special thanks to @marmarfrick for suggesting this stack! 😘 📚 Ideal Bookshelf 1162: AntiRacism 📚 #antiracism #antiracist #idealbookshelf #soyouwanttotalkaboutrace #howtobeabantiracist #stampedfromthebeginning #meandwhitesupremacy #thisbookisantiracist #stamped #betweentheworldandme #thecoloroflaw #blindspot #thewarmthofothersuns #goodtalk #minorfeelings #imstillhere #thefirenexttime #thenewjimcrow #whitefragility #mindfulofrace #justmercy #whentheycallyouaterrorist #whyimnolongertalkingtowhitepeopleaboutrace

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Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to be an Antiracist (listen to him speak about the death of George Floyd on Democracy Now):

The Antiracist Research & Policy Center, founded by Ibram X. Kendi:

More resources: