What to Read, Watch, & Listen to, to Learn About Racism
Last updated May 4, 2023
Wondering what you can do to better understand this country's systemic racism? We've got you covered with a great list of books, videos and podcasts focused on understanding and addressing racism. Here is a list of free resources to help you get started.
*Note - All links below will open in a new window.
Books
Reach out to your local library (website, email, phone) for their recommendations on what to read and how to gain access. Many libraries are expanding online resources and many can point you to ebook versions. Here are a few recommendations to get you started:
- YA fiction by black authors and reading lists curated Seattle Library, Los Angeles Library, and Alachua County Florida Library
- Oakland Public Library - Talking To Kids About Racism and Justice
- New York Public Library - Schomburg Center Black Liberation Reading List
- Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners - given to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values.
Free movies/videos
- A list made by Film School Rejects of Black Lives Matter movies available to watch for free
- Full films of 13th and Strong Island are available on Netflix’s YouTube Channel
- Google Play has made these movies that will inspire your inner activist available for free
- Race Forward is an 8-part video series explaining various forms of systemic racism
- Say it Loud by PBS celebrates Black culture, context, and history
Podcasts
- 1619 by the New York Times explores how slavery has transformed America, connecting past and present
- Floodlines by the Atlantic covers the people who lived through Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath
- Code Switch a podcast hosted by journalists of color with conversations about race and how it impacts every part of society from politics, to pop culture, sports, and everything in between, on NPR.
- Intersectionality Matters! by The African American Policy Forum brings intersectionality to life
- About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge, bestselling author of Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race
- Tulsa Race Massacre, AKA Black Wall Street by American History Tellers