It is not enough to just not be racist, for real progress to be made we need to be ANTI-RACIST. The first step is to talk about race, educate yourselves about racism and talk to our children about race.
The best way to educate is always by reading books on the subject so I have compiled a comprehensive list of books that talk about race. The below list includes books suitable from birth to adulthood and I have split them into categories. The picture books are still beneficial for older children, they have all been enjoyed by our girls. When choosing reading books (specifically for children) lookout for characters that have a diverse range of skin colours and always try to source work by black authors first.
PICTURE BOOKS:
-Little Leaders Bold Women in Black History - Vashti Harrison
-Little Leaders Exceptional Men in Black History - Vashti Harrison
-Can I Touch Your Hair? - Irene Latham
-The Journey - Francesca Sanna
-The Wedding Portrait - Innosanto Nagara
-The Barefoot Book of Children - Tessa Strickland
-Can You Say Peace? Paperback – Karen Katz
-Hats of Faith - Medeia Cohan-Petrolino
-The Skin You Live In - Michael Tyler
-Brick by Brick - Giuliano Ferri
-The Skin I'm In - Pat Thomas
-A Is For Activist - Innosanto Nagara
-Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness - Anastasia Higginbotham
-When a Bully is President(Truth and Creativity for Oppressive Times)-Maya Christina Gonzalez
-Ella: Who Am I? - La'shaun Garcia
-Ella Queen of Jazz - Helen Hancocks
-The Day You Begin - Jacqueline Woodson
-Grandad Mandela - Zindzi Mandela
-I'm Still Here - Austin Channing Brown
-Nigger - Dick Gregory
-How to Be an Antiracist - Ibram X. Kendi
-On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous - Ocean Vuong
-Tell Me Who You Are - Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi
-White Girls - Hilton Als
-The Water Dancer - Ta-Nehisi Coates
-Queenie - Candice Carty-Williams
-Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela
-My Traitor's Heart - Rian Malan
As white people we have so much work to do around race, I know it can feel uncomfortable and overwhelming, but educating yourself and talking to our children is the best place to start.
-Little Leaders Bold Women in Black History - Vashti Harrison
-Little Leaders Exceptional Men in Black History - Vashti Harrison
-Can I Touch Your Hair? - Irene Latham
-The Journey - Francesca Sanna
-The Wedding Portrait - Innosanto Nagara
-The Barefoot Book of Children - Tessa Strickland
-Can You Say Peace? Paperback – Karen Katz
-Hats of Faith - Medeia Cohan-Petrolino
-The Skin You Live In - Michael Tyler
-Brick by Brick - Giuliano Ferri
-The Skin I'm In - Pat Thomas
-A Is For Activist - Innosanto Nagara
-Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness - Anastasia Higginbotham
-When a Bully is President(Truth and Creativity for Oppressive Times)-Maya Christina Gonzalez
-Ella: Who Am I? - La'shaun Garcia
-Ella Queen of Jazz - Helen Hancocks
-The Day You Begin - Jacqueline Woodson
-Grandad Mandela - Zindzi Mandela
FOR OLDER KIDS:
-This Book Is Anti-Racist - Tiffany Jewell, Aurelia Durand
-Big Ideas for Curious Minds - The School of Life
-We Are All Born Free - Amnesty International
-Martin and Mahalia: His Words, Her Song - Andrea Davis Pinkney
-Sit-in: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down - Andrea Davis Pinkney
-Let It Shine - An-drea Davis Pinkney
-The Red Pencil - Andrea Davis Pinkney
-My Hair is a Garden - Cozbi Cabrera
YOUNG ADULT:
-How It Went Down - Kekla Magoon
-Dear Martin - Nic Stone
-I Am Alfonso Jones - Tony Medina
-The Help - Kathryn Stockett
-The Hate you Give - Angie Thomas
-Tyler Johnson Was Here - Jay Coles
-Lies We Tell Ourselves - Robin Talley
-Out of Darkness - Ashley Hope Perez
-Red at the Bone - Jacqueline Woodson
FOR GROWN UPS:
-Me and White Supremacy - Layla F. Saad
-Natives - Akala
-Why I'm no longer talking to white people about race - Reni Eddo-Lodge
-Girl, Woman, Other, - Bernardine Evaristo
-How to Argue With a Racist: History, Science, Race & Reality (Hardback) - Adam Rutherford
-This Book Is Anti-Racist - Tiffany Jewell, Aurelia Durand
-Big Ideas for Curious Minds - The School of Life
-We Are All Born Free - Amnesty International
-Martin and Mahalia: His Words, Her Song - Andrea Davis Pinkney
-Sit-in: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down - Andrea Davis Pinkney
-Let It Shine - An-drea Davis Pinkney
-The Red Pencil - Andrea Davis Pinkney
-My Hair is a Garden - Cozbi Cabrera
YOUNG ADULT:
-How It Went Down - Kekla Magoon
-Dear Martin - Nic Stone
-I Am Alfonso Jones - Tony Medina
-The Help - Kathryn Stockett
-The Hate you Give - Angie Thomas
-Tyler Johnson Was Here - Jay Coles
-Lies We Tell Ourselves - Robin Talley
-Out of Darkness - Ashley Hope Perez
-Red at the Bone - Jacqueline Woodson
FOR GROWN UPS:
-Me and White Supremacy - Layla F. Saad
-Natives - Akala
-Why I'm no longer talking to white people about race - Reni Eddo-Lodge
-Girl, Woman, Other, - Bernardine Evaristo
-How to Argue With a Racist: History, Science, Race & Reality (Hardback) - Adam Rutherford
-I'm Still Here - Austin Channing Brown
-Nigger - Dick Gregory
-How to Be an Antiracist - Ibram X. Kendi
-On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous - Ocean Vuong
-Tell Me Who You Are - Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi
-White Girls - Hilton Als
-The Water Dancer - Ta-Nehisi Coates
-Queenie - Candice Carty-Williams
-Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela
-My Traitor's Heart - Rian Malan
As white people we have so much work to do around race, I know it can feel uncomfortable and overwhelming, but educating yourself and talking to our children is the best place to start.
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