Racism can be a hard topic to discuss in the home or in the classroom. Below are books and resources that can help make the conversations easier with reading communities of all ages.
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Reading and Talking About Racism at Home and in the Classroom
Featured Author
Jason Reynolds
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities, and the Founding Director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. He is an Ideas Columnist at The Atlantic, and a correspondent with CBS News. He is the author of many books including Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, and three #1 New York Times bestsellers: How to Be an Antiracist; Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, co-authored with Jason Reynolds; and Antiracist Baby, illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky.
Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul is an educator, author, and the co-founder of the Institute for Racial Equity in Literacy. She is the Director of Diversity and Equity at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University. As a former middle school English teacher, Sonja developed curriculum that centered the work of racial literacy in K-12 schools. She leads presentations at educational conferences and works with educators around the world providing professional development on antiracist reading and writing instruction.
Rachelle Baker is a multi-disciplinary artist from Detroit, Michigan. She is the artist behind many the covers of New York Times and Indie bestsellers including Grown and Furia, as well as the illustrator of Shirley Chisolm is a Verb by Veronica Chambers (Dial/PRH) and Making Our Way Home: The Great Migration and the Black American Dream by Blair Imani (Ten Speed Press/PRH). Her work has been featured in the New York Times, New York Magazine, Netflix, and Entertainment Weekly, among others.
Featured Author
Ibram X. Kendi
Ibram X. Kendi is a #1 New York Times-bestselling author, the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University, and the founding director of the BU Center for Antiracist Research. He is an Ideas Columnist at the Atlantic and a correspondent with CBS News. He is the author of five books, including Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction; the New York Times bestsellers How to Be an Antiracist and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, coauthored with Jason Reynolds; and Antiracist Baby.
Featured Author
Jewell Parker Rhodes
Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for youth, including Ghost Boys; Black Brother, Black Brother; Paradise on Fire; and Treasure Island: Runaway Gold. She is the recipient of many distinguished awards and honors, including the Coretta Scott King Author Honor, the Green Earth Book Award, an NAACP Image Award nomination, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, and the Octavia E. Butler Award. Rhodes is the Founding Artistic Director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing and Virginia G. Piper Endowed Chair at Arizona State University. She invites you to connect with her at jewellparkerrhodes.com.
Kelly McWilliams is the mixed-race writer of the young adult books Agnes at the End of the World, Mirror Girls, and Your Plantation Prom Is Not Okay. She’s written for Time, Publishers Weekly, and Bustle among other outlets. Mirror Girls, about biracial twin sisters growing up under Jim Crow, was a Target Book Club Pick and Barnes & Noble monthly pick, and her debut novel was a finalist for the Golden Kite award. She lives in Seattle with her family. Find her at KellyMcWilliamsAuthor.com.
Featured Author
Andrea Davis Pinkney
Brian Pinkney has illustrated numerous books for children, including two Caldecott Honor books, and he has written and illustrated several of his own books. Brian has received the Coretta Scott King Book Award for Illustration and three Coretta Scott King Book Award Honor medals.
The Pinkneys have been named among the "25 Most Influential People in Our Children's Lives" by Children's Health magazine. They live in Brooklyn, New York.
Featured Author
Vashti Harrison
Featured Author
Jay Coles
Featured Author
Brandy Colbert
Brandy Colbert is the critically acclaimed author of the novels Pointe, Finding Yvonne, The Revolution of Birdie Randolph, and Stonewall Award winner Little & Lion. Born and raised in Springfield, Missouri, she now lives and writes in Los Angeles.
Featured Author
Sherri Winston
Sherri Winston is the author of President of the Whole Fifth Grade; President of the Whole Sixth Grade; President of the Whole Sixth Grade: Girl Code; The Sweetest Sound; Jada Sly, Artist & Spy; The Kayla Chronicles; and Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution. She lives with her family in Florida.
Featured Author
Zetta Elliott
David Anthony Geary is a transdisciplinary artist working in a variety of mediums, for the last 25 years incorporating painting, printmaking, collage, assemblage, sculpture, and photography into his practice. His artistic training took place in New Orleans, LA at Xavier University. David's work has been featured several times in Starbucks store designs nationally, including the flagship Reserve Roastery. His Great Migration series is on permanent exhibition at the University of Chicago. He has also designed historical city landmarks in Chicago, such as the Ida B. Wells Memorial Marker and the Great Migration Suspension Bridge Marker. This is David's debut picture book. For more information visit: http://www.davidanthonyart.com.
Featured Author
Walter Mosley
Featured Author
Karyn Parsons
Featured Author
Bryan Collier
Bryan Collier has illustrated more than twenty-five picture books, including the award-winning Trombone Shorty, Dave the Potter, and Knock Knock: My Father’s Dream for Me, as well as City Shapes, and Fifty Cents and a Dream, and has received four Caldecott Honors and six Coretta Scott King Awards. He lives with his wife and children in Marlboro, New York.
Featured Author
Oge Mora
Featured Author
Sharee Miller
Sharee Miller is the author and illustrator of Princess Hair, Don't Touch My Hair!, and Michelle's Garden, all published by LBYR. She is also the illustrator of The Shai and Emmie series written by Quvenzhané Wallis and Nancy Ohlin and Sam's Super Seats,by Keah Brown. She lives in Jersey City with her spouse, son, and two cats, Pumpkin and Spice!
Featured Author
Bell Hooks
Featured Author
Ronni Davis
Ronni Davis lives in Chicago, where she copyedits everything from TV commercials to billboards by day, and writes contemporary teen novels about brown girls falling in love by night. She is the author of When the Stars Lead to You. You can visit her at ronnidavis.com, and follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @lilrongal.