2020 has been one hell of a year (literally, it’s been hell in so many ways!), and it’s not over yet.

On May 25, George Floyd was lynched. He was publicly murdered by police for all the world to see. His death sparked protests that are still continuing to this day (September 17th, 2020). His death reignited a fire that has either been hot burning embers or a conflagration since 1619. And his death caused a whole lot of white people to take a long, hard look in the mirror and ask that person staring back whether they were fanning the flames of that fire. The answer for most was, and still is, yes. Myself included.

Prior to this year I had considered myself strongly NOT racist. And yet, had anyone asked me what I had been doing to combat racism in this country, my answer would have been a pitiful “nothing.” But now I know that “nothing” is not an acceptable answer. I know that not being racist is not enough. For things to change, white people must become anti-racist. We must help fight the system that has kept people of color down for so long.

There are a lot of things white people can do to help in the fight. And thanks to the internet, there are TONS of resources and lists to help people find ways to take action. It’s a bit overwhelming for me, so I want to break things down into separate posts for myself where I can keep track of everything more easily. It will also be a place where I can make note of key takeaways and learnings that I can come back to whenever needed. Hopefully, these lists will also help keep me on track and motivate me to keep moving forward in the fight for equality.

If you are white, this is the bottom line: silence is violence. Ignorance is not bliss. It’s time for us to stand together and break down the White Supremacist society that the U.S. was built upon and actually make it a union where all men (and women) are created equal, and where there really is liberty and justice for ALL.

MY BOOK LIST: I am listing any books that are either written by a Black author or is specifically addressing issues of race. These are either books that I have already read and recommend, or have on my list because it is something I plan on reading and have already purchased or added to my library. There are SO many books worth reading and SO many lists out there; this is just my way of keeping an archive for myself. If you see that a book is missing from this list that you think I should read, please let me know and I will add it!

  • “Becoming,” Michelle Obama
  • “Behold The Dreamers,” Imbolo Mbue
  • “Between The World And Me,” Ta-Nehisi Coates
  • “Dreams From My Father,” Barak Obama
  • “How To Be An Antiracist,” Ibram X. Kendi
  • “Native Son,” Richard Wright
  • “Our Kind Of People,” Lawrence Otis Graham
  • “Roots,” Alex Haley
  • “So You Want To Talk About Race,” Ijeoma Oluo
  • “Speak No Evil,” Uzodinma Iweala
  • “Stamped From The Beginnig,” Ibram X. Kendi
  • “Sula,” Toni Morrison
  • “The Audacity Of Hope,” Barak Obama
  • “The Bluest Eye,” Toni Morrison
  • “The Heart Of A Woman,” Maya Angelou
  • “The Meaning of Michelle,” Edited by Veronica Chambers
  • “The New Jim Crow,” Michelle Alexander
  • “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Zora Neale Hurston
  • “Things Fall Apart,” Chinua Achebe
  • “Things That Make White People Uncomfortable,” Michael Bennett
  • “Waiting to Exhale,” Terry McMillan