In my first week of college I was led through an exercise which showed me vividly how slanted my education to that point had been. I had been assigned works by dead white men over and over and over again. Motivated by shame of my ignorance as well as my clear, ingrained biases, I set out to rectify the situation and to educate myself. In my graduate studies and my career as a teacher, I continued on this path — teaching American Literature with a multicultural lens, attempting to frame the American experience for all Americans, not just dead white guys. Doing so is a heartbreaking and humbling experience, for our country is built on blood, sweat, and tears — in equal parts.

Social justice is about race. It is also about gender, socio-economic status, religion. It is woven into every thread of our social fabric from the food available for our tables to the decisions we make at the voting booth — and how easily we can vote. Parents and teachers have a particularly important role to play in raising children who aren’t just kind but who are actively anti-racist and who seek justice for all.

So I share with you some of the books that have influenced my progressive, anti-racist journey over the last three decades. This list isn’t complete. It is a start. I am not an anti-racism expert, but I am a reader, a human being, a Progressive, someone of compassion, and I’ve been doing the work for a long time. These volumes have helped me along the way.

Anti-Racism Resources

Before we get to my book list, I want to also include several other resources and experts which may be of help to you on your journey.

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