Antiracist Reading List for Readers of All Ages

"To build a nation of equal opportunity for everyone, we need to dismantle this spurious legacy of our common upbringing. One of the best ways to do this is by reading books. Not books that reinforce old ideas about who we think we are, what we think America is, what we think racism is. Instead, we need to read books that are difficult or unorthodox, that don’t go down easily. Books that force us to confront our self-serving beliefs and make us aware that 'I’m not racist' is a slogan of denial."

— Ibram X. Kendi, professor and director of the Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University and author of How to Be Antiracist

We know books have the power to educate, to inspire, to change minds, and to change the world. That is why we've rounded up some suggestions of books for adults, teens, and children that deal with racism, prejudice, and bigotry in America. We hope the books on this list can serve as a starting place for your conversations around antiracism, and, more importantly, inspire you to act.

Below, you will find a few of our favorite staff suggestions for antiracist reading. Click on the links for Adult and Children & YA books to see all of our recommendations.

We also encourage you to support out Black bookselling colleagues by patronizing their stores. Find a list with links to their online shops here. 

Please note: Because of the high demand for certain antiracist titles, we are out of stock of several important books, and awaiting reprints from the publishers. But you don't have to wait! Order antiracist audiobooks from Libro.fm, or purchase an ebook  version today and read immediately!