Scholar Ibram X. Kendi won a National Book Award for his 2016 history of racist thought in the U.S., Stamped From the Beginning, and leads the Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University. He’s spent years immersed in the facts and theory of one of society’s ugliest dimensions. His conclusion? There is no such thing as not being racist. Rather, he posits, there is only racism and that which actively works against it: antiracism. In his latest book, both self-examination and self-help, Kendi offers detailed instructions on how and why to put antiracism into practice. How to Be an Antiracist offers a reverberant challenge to its readers, calling on them to rethink deeply rooted ideas about race. It won’t be easy or comfortable, but Kendi makes a convincing case that it’s worthwhile.
Buy now: How to Be an Antiracist