I’ve compiled a list of thirty books for us to educate ourselves on black history, white privilege, and what it means to be anti-racist. There are no excuses to be ignorant and naive at a time like this, especially with so much information readily available at our fingertips. While reading is not going to solve everything overnight, it’s a great place to start. My sister and I have agreed to keep each other accountable to continue our learning, and I encourage you to do the same. We are going to each read a couple books, and then swap, and read more. Although some of the books on this list may be temporarily out of stock at the time of this post, don’t stop there. Save this post and continually check back on availability. The riots may stop, but the fight is far from over.

1. The Marrow of Tradition - Charles W. Chestnutt

2. The Autobiography of An Ex-Colored Man - James Weldon Johnson

3. Mules and Men - Zora Neale Hurston

4. Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison

5. Roots - Alex Haley

6. The Autobiography of Malcom X - As told to Alex Haley 

7. The Miner’s Canary - Gerald Torres

8. The Possessive Investment in Whiteness - George Lipsitz

9. The Color Purple - Alice Walker

10. Sister Outsider - Audre Lorde

11. Divided Sisters - Midge Wilson & Kathy Russell 

12. The New Jim Crow - Michelle Alexander

13. How to be an Antiracist - Ibram X Kendi

14. Heavy: An American Memoir - Kiese Laymon

15. The Fire Next Time - James Baldwin

16. The Fire This Time - Jesmyn Ward 

17. This Bridge Called my Back - Edited by Gloria Moraga & Gloria Anzaldua

18. Assata an Autobiography - Assata Shakur

19. White Rage - Carol Anderson

20. I Know Why the Cages Bird Sings - Maya Angelou

21. Citizen - Claudia Rankine

22. Between the Word and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates

23. Me and the White Supremacy - Layla F. Saad

24. The Wretched of the Earth - Frantz Fanon

25. When They Call You a Terrorist - Oatrisse Khan-Cullors & Asha Bandele

26. Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? - Beverly Danial Tatum

27. Home - Toni Morrison (and ALL of her other books)

28. White Fragility - Robin Diangelo

29. This Book is Anti-Racist - Tiffany Jewell

30. My Grandmother’s Hands - Resmaa Menakem

**This post includes affiliate links, primarily for convenience to linking to the books. The African American Literature Bookclub has complied a list of Black Owned Bookstores by state, please do what you can to support and purchase your books from these locations.

Have I missed a book you highly recommend? I would love to add it to the list - email me at hello@itspeachy.co.