Anti-Racism Resources

Church-related

The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone – a prominent black theologian explores the paradoxical relationship between Jesus’ death on the cross and the atrocious history of the lynchings of blacks; a memoir on the painful experience of being both a Christian and a black man in America [William is leading a study on this book on Thursday nights in July. Contact him if you would like to participate.]

The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby – exploring the American Christian church’s historic complicity in racism

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin – one of the most influential texts on race from the 1960s (and still today) addressing the intersection of race and religion in American history

America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America by Jim Wallis – a prophetic and deeply personal call to action in overcoming the racism so ingrained in American society, urging white Christians to cross a new bridge toward racial justice and healing

I’m Still Here: Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown – an illuminating look at how white, middle-class, Evangelicalism has participated in an era of rising racial hostility, inviting the reader to confront apathy, recognize God’s ongoing work in the world, and discover how blackness—if we let it—can save us all

>> For more church-related suggestions, check out the CBF Advocacy Racial Justice Reading List.

General

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander – how our criminal justice system is racialized and weaponized against people of color, especially Black people

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo – answers some of the most common questions from white people about racism (some topics: white privilege, police brutality, microagressions)

How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi – a powerful memoir and political guide on how to be antiracist because everything is either racist or antiracist with nothing in between

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates – a letter to the author’s teenage son about the feelings, symbolism, and realities associated with being Black in the United States

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo – exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson – a powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time

Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad – leads readers through a journey of understanding their white privilege and participation in white supremacy

This Book Is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell – twenty lessons on how to wake up, take action and do the work to deconstruct what racism is and how to be actively anti-racist

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – a Young Adult novel about a teenage girl who grapples with racism, police brutality, and activism after witnessing police murder her black friend

Just Mercy (free in June on Google Play, Prime Video, and YouTube) – film adaptation of the book with the same name

13th (currently free on Netflix and YouTube) – examines racism in the U.S. and the disproportionate number of African Americans behind bars

• 13th Discussion guide from Education for Justice, a project of Center for Concern
• 13th Discussion guide from Youth Specialties

Dear White People (Netflix) – explores racial identity in a “post-racial” world, through the perspectives of black students at prestigious colleges with escalating racial issues 

When They See Us (Netflix) – a four-part miniseries based on the true story of the Central Park Five, exploring the lives and families of the five male suspects who were falsely accused and prosecuted for the rape and assault of a woman in Central Park

King in the Wilderness (HBO, YouTube, Hulu, Prime Video, Google Play) – documentary focused on the final 18 months of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life 

If Beale Street Could Talk (Hulu, YouTube, Prime Video, Google Play) – adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel about black intimacy against the backdrop of white racism 

The Hate U Give (currently free on YouTube, Prime Video and Google Play; also available on Hulu, HBO Max) – film adaptation of the book with the same name

“Brene with Ibram X. Kendi on How to Be an Antiracist” (Unlocking Us with Brené Brown) –a discussion of racial disparities, policy, and equality with a focus on How to Be an Antiracist, a groundbreaking approach to understanding uprooting racism and inequality in our society and in ourselves

“White Women’s Toxic Tears, with Lisa Sharon Harper” (For the Love with Jen Hatmaker) – a raw, honest, informative, solidarity-building conversation about the historical and cultural roots and current-day patterns of white women’s betrayals of people of color

1619 (New York Times) – audio series examining the long shadow of American slavery

Code Switch (NPR) – presents contemporary news viewed through the lens of race and identity

Web Portal

Talking about Race by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture – online portal designed to help individuals, families, and communities talk about racism, racial identity and the way these forces shape every aspect of American culture

Video Series

“Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man” by Emmanuel Acho – YouTube video series created by Acho, a sports analyst and former NFL linebacker, as an educational tool for white people who are looking to help but might not necessarily understand how or where to start

Recent Articles

“Why are so many white Christians suddenly standing up for racial justice?” by Alan Sherouse (Christian Century) – thinking through a possible connection that the mainstream shifts in recent weeks have occurred at a time when so many moderating institutions — like majority white churches — have had our buildings closed

“Justice Too Long Delayed” by Timothy Dalrymple (Christianity Today) – a look at the church’s participation in racial injustice and how to make restitution for that sin

Anti-Racism For Kids 101: Starting To Talk About Race by Books for Littles – book list broken up by age, plus helpful info about where to start

We’re Different, We’re the Same (Sesame Street) by Bobbi Kates – an easy, enjoyable way to learn that we may all look different on the outside, but, deep down, we are all very much alike

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman – this children’s picture book shows us that people can be anything they want to be and makes us question where and when racist thoughts begin as well as who teaches us them

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi – a “remix” of Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped, the book takes us on a journey from 1415 to the present day, showing the history of racist ideology in the U.S. and what we can do to actively stamp out these deep-rooted ideas (Ages 12+)

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman – a classic forbidden love story made even more dangerous by the segregated society that its main characters live in (Young Adult book series)