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books and articles sorted by subject matter
anti-racism 101
Sorta intimidated? Not sure where to start? Start here.
This is a collection of introductory (and frankly mandatory) readings on the history of racism in the US, why it matters, and how you can begin to do the work of discussing, recognizing, and dismantling racism within your own life and thought patterns.
intersectional feminism
A collection of readings that amplifies the legacy and lived experiences of Black women and activists while highlighting the racist, exclusionary history and objectives of the women’s lib movement. Critical readings for anyone who considers themselves a feminist today and wants a better understanding of the intersection of race, gender, and how Black women have historically, singlehandedly carried feminist progress on their backs.
REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE
Accounts of the reproductive rights struggle in the US have typically focused on efforts to attain and defend the legal right to abortion, efforts led predominantly by white women. What little information is provided about women of color tends to center on the abuses they have suffered and represents only a partial history. These readings shed light both on the roles women of color have played in the fight for reproductive justice as well as their struggles to resist reproductive oppression, including sterilization abuse, unsafe contraceptives, welfare reform, and oppressive family planning programs and policies.
race & activism in the 21st century
A toolkit for present-day activists, drawing upon the knowledge of decades of civil rights activism and unpacking the pitfalls of how race, policing systems, and the pursuit of justice intersect with technology in our current climate — what that means for our future.
prisons, policing, and abolition
This section includes readings on the history of the militarization of police, the school to prison pipeline, the criminalization of poverty, and all the steps in between our current systems and the end goal of police and prison abolition. There’s been a lot of talk about “abolish the police!” and “get rid of prisons!” If that sounds outlandish and impossible to you, this is a good place to start getting acquainted with the decades of work put in by iconic abolition activists like Mariame Kaba, Angela Davis, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, and Alex S. Vitale.
school reform & education policy
Accounts from Black educators, psychologists, and activists that unpack the social and cultural position Black students/teachers occupy, from before Brown v. Board of Education to the present day, in a society that often devalues and stereotypes Black identity, fundamentally shapes students' experience of school, and sets them up for unique obstacles not faced by white students.
memoirs & biographies
A collection of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs written of and by some of the most influential Black Americans — activists, literary icons, and poets — that will expand your understanding of American history and the Black lived experience.
ART & DESIGN
A selection of books and articles on the intersection between art, design, and race — from art history readings to guidelines for intersectional and inclusive design in the tech world.
slavery & the civil rights movement
This section maps the history, roots, and insidious effects of colonization and chattel slavery, as well as the fight for civil rights and the arc of progress beginning in the mid-1800’s, through the Jim Crow/post-Civil War era, to the late 1900s. It also touches on the more insidious effects of pre-Civil Rights era policy and thought, the making of Jim Crow modernity, as well as some of the the lesser-known activists and icons of 50s-70s.
environmental justice
A selection of readings from leaders in the environmental movement, like Harriet A. Washington and Robert Bullard, that cover the movement as it developed in the 70s and 80s, as well as books and articles that unpack the racist roots of the present-day green/environmentalist movement, urban development policy, and the effects of the fossil fuel/waste management industries.
fiction
Assorted novels highlighting some of the best Black novelists, both old and new. Includes timeless American classics from icons like Toni Morrison and Octavia E. Butler, as well as recent works and debut novels from some of the best rising voices in the literary world.