Antiracism Resources

Ahmaud Arbery was jogging in south Georgia when he was pursued and shot by several white men. Breonna Taylor, an EMT from Louisville, was shot multiple times in her bed by police officers executing a surprise "no-knock" warrant. In Milwaukee last month, George Floyd died after a police officer placed a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes. These brutal and horrifying deaths of Black citizens are recent high-profile examples of a long history of injustice and inequality. These deaths, along with murders and law enforcement abuses that have taken place before and since, have generated widespread public protest as well as calls for justice, accountability, and police reform.

As demonstrations and calls to action continue to grow, many activists and organizations have developed resource and reading lists for people who wish to educate themselves about the history of inequality and racism in America, as well as proactive next steps toward reforming unjust systems. One comprehensive resource, recently shared with the community by Duke Law's Student Coalition for Anti-Racist Action, is the "Educate Yourself" page, which includes the "Lesson Plan for Being an Ally" as well as a list of Anti-racism resources.

Some additional reading lists of recommended books include:

• Hennepin County (MN) Library, Tools to Talk About Race and Racism
• Ibram X. Kendi, An Antiracist Reading List

This post points to electronic access to some highly-recommended book and film titles from these resource lists. Due to publisher licensing restrictions, most titles will require a current Duke University NetID. Durham County residents may be able to access some of these materials through the Durham County Library's e-book service (more information).

• Ibram X. Kendi, How to Be an Antiracist (2019)
• Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism (2018)
• Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (10th anniversary ed. 2020)
• Khalil Gibran Muhammad, The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Urban Modern America (2011)
• Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption (2014):
  (Note: Warner Brothers has also made the recent feature film version free to stream throughout the month of June)
• I Am Not Your Negro: James Baldwin and Race in America (2017)

To search for additional online access to titles from these resource lists, use the "Available Online" checkbox in the Duke Libraries Catalog. Note that some e-books may have waiting lists, due to restrictions set by the publisher. While the library buildings on campus remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, staff are happy to advise about the online availability of particular titles. Please Ask a Librarian for help with your research.