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Recommended Readings on Racism and Black American History

Brian Sherwin February 25, 2020
Michael Harriot writes in this month’s The Root, that “Black History Month is for White People.” He explains that Black History should simply be seen as American History, and, unfortunately, too many White people are unfamiliar with this history. (For example, many White people who viewed HBO’s Watchmen were shocked to learn that Tulsa’s Black Wall Street actually was bombed by White people.) This list of recommended readings is meant for anyone who might benefit from it, but is especially offered in the spirit of Harriot’s column to encourage our fellow White readers to expand our collective knowledge and perspective.

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


The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism
by Edward E. Baptist


The Case for Reparations
by Ta-Nehisi Coates (The Atlantic article)


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


And more:

This is certainly not an exhaustive list. Here are even more lists of sources to add to your racism-related reading list.

At Conscious Company’s 2020 World-Changing Women’s Summit, Jenée Johnson (Program Innovation Leader: Mindfulness, Trauma, Racial Healing at San Francisco Department of Public Health) recommended the following sources on racism in America:

Equity and Inclusion / Stakeholder Capitalism
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