Top 11 Books About Race And Education Updated 04 /2024

As people took to the streets in the United States and around the world today to denounce racism and police brutality, a small ray of hope came through the dark clouds. A beacon of hope was rekindled, reassuring us that we can still dream that one day all races will be treated equally and that racism will be history.

People in the United States and around the world are now taking part in a civil movement. This movement is a catalyst for structural reforms and changes that are good for people. Laws alone can't defeat racism because racism is an ideology, and the only thing that can defeat an ideology is a good counter-ideology.

History is full of stories. Military action did not completely stop terrorism. It didn't. Yes, it destroyed its infrastructure and was able to dismantle active terrorist cells, which has made the threat of terrorist attacks much less likely. If you think about it, terrorist ideology is still around. This is why there are more "lone wolves." When people are educated and think critically, their minds are freed from the chains of ideology and bigotry, and they learn to embrace and celebrate human diversity.

This post is meant to help teachers, educators, and students become more aware of the problem of race and racism. It includes some of the most popular books on race and racism that have been featured in the Washington Post and the New York Times. We want you to look at them and share them with your friends and coworkers, as well. Our favorite book from this list is Robin DiAngelo's "White Fragility: Why White People Are So Afraid to Talk About Racism."

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism , by Robin DiAngelo

"The anti-racism educator Robin DiAngelo "deftly" explains the phenomenon of white fragility in this "vital, necessary, and beautiful book." This book "allows us to understand racism as a practice that isn't just for bad people," says Michael Eric Dyson (Claudia Rankine). White fragility is a term that refers to the way white people defend themselves when they are being racially questioned. It refers to emotions like anger, fear, and guilt, as well as behaviors like argumentation and silence. These actions, in turn, keep white race stable and stop meaningful cross-racial talks from happening. In this detailed look at white fragility, DiAngelo looks at how it grows, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to be more constructive."

How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi 

"Kendi weaves together ethics, history, law, and science with his own personal story of how he came to believe in antiracism. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to go beyond being aware of racism and help build a just and equitable world."

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America , by Ibram X. Kendi 

"It's a well-researched and fast-moving book that tells the whole story of anti-black racist ideas and how they have had a huge impact on American history. They are Puritan minister Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, William Lloyd Garrison, W.E.B. Du Bois, and legendary activist Angela Davis, who all had important roles in the history of American thought. Kendi shows that racist ideas did not come about because people were ignorant or because they were afraid of other people. They were made to justify and make sense of long-standing discriminatory policies and the country's racial inequalities. When we learn about this history, Stamped from the Beginning gives us the skills we need to expose racism. People can have hope because of what he does."

Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race, by Debby Irving 

"Debby Irving felt racial tensions in her personal and professional relationships for twenty-five years. She didn't know why. As a coworker and a neighbor, she was worried about offending people she wanted to be friends with. As an arts administrator, she didn't understand why her efforts to make the arts more diverse didn't work out. Teacher: She found that all of her best efforts to connect with students and their families of color made her wonder what she was doing that she wasn't doing better at. Then, in 2009, she had a "aha!" moment that set off a journey of discovery and insight that changed her worldview and changed her life plan. Irving tells her story in Waking Up White with such honesty that readers will be rooting for her-and for all of us-the whole way through, even when it's painful."

Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love and So Much More , by Janet Mock 

"Janet Mock tells her story with unflinching honesty and moving prose about growing up as a young, multiracial, poor, and transgender person in the United States. She also gives readers important information about the unique challenges and vulnerabilities of a group that is often overlooked and misunderstood. Redefining Realness is a powerful book that shows us how to be unapologetic and real. Even though it's a story about one woman's search for herself at all costs, it also shows us how to be unapologetically real."

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander

"Michelle Alexander's book, The New Jim Crow, isn't like any other book. Since it was first published in 2010, it has been used in court decisions and used on campuses and in communities across the country. It also inspired the Marshall Project and the new $100 million Art for Justice Fund. It has won many awards, including the prestigious NAACP Image Award, and it has spent nearly 250 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list."

So You Want to Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Oluo 

Readers of all races will learn about topics like intersectionality, affirmative action, and "model minorities" in Ijeoma Oluo's book, So You Want to Talk About Race. Oluo wants to make the impossible possible: real conversations about race and racism in the United States.

---