This week, we wanted to highlight books that can be used as tools to help us better understand the importance of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement and inspire much-needed conversations with our friends and family.
Slay In Your Lane by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené
If you’re looking for an insight into what life is like for Black women today, this is a great palace to start. Illustrated with stories from best friends Elizabeth Uviebinené and Yomi Adegoke’s own lives, and using interviews with dozens of the most successful black women in Britain, Slay In Your Lane is essential reading for a generation of black women inspired to find success in every area of their lives
When They Call You A Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele
Co-authored by one of the Black Lives Matter founders, this best-selling book draws upon personal experience and offers an intelligent, thought-provoking review of humanity, culture and race. Following the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, three women – Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, and Patrisse Khan-Cullors – came together to form an active response to the systemic racism causing the deaths of so many African-Americans.
Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis
“The prison therefore functions ideologically as an abstract site into which undesirables are deposited, relieving us of the responsibility of thinking about the real issues afflicting those communities from which prisoners are drawn in such disproportionate numbers. This is the ideological work that the prison performs — it relieves us of the responsibility of seriously engaging with the problems of our society, especially those produced by racism and, increasingly, global capitalism.”
How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
In this deeply empathetic book, Ibram X. Kendi, founding director of the Antiracism Research and Policy Center, shows that when it comes to racism, neutrality is not an option. Until we become part of the solution, we can only be part of the problem.
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
A darkly comic and unflinchingly raw depiction of a young woman trying to navigate her way in the world, this story comes from one of Britain’s most celebrated authors today. Queenie will make you laugh, cry, and learn about Black British culture in a way that is rarely represented in mainstream fiction.
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
A charged and necessary wake-up call to pervasive, institutionalised racism. Written in 2014 by award-winning journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge, this book came as a result of her frustration with the way that discussions of race and racism in Britain were being led by those who weren’t affected by it.
The Clapback: Your Guide To Calling Out Racist Stereotypes by Elijah Lawal
This book examines the evolution of the negative stereotypes towards the black community and arms you with the tools to shut them down once and for all. Taking readers on a journey through history, and providing facts and detailed research, this is an eye-opening and refreshing look at race and language.
