Books and films to help people of all ages learn about systemic racism and violence – CNET
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The killing of George Floyd last month in Minneapolis has sparked protests across the US and around the world over racial injustice. Demonstrators have taken to the streets -- and to social media -- to voice their outrage at long-standing issues like police brutality and systemic racism and oppression.
People are also sharing resources to help others better understand the issues at hand and to learn how to be better allies to black Americans. Dozens of books, novels, films and TV series addressing the discrimination that people of color face have been circulating online. Some have been recommended by libraries like the Chicago Public Library and the Oakland Public Library. One Twitter thread of antiracist children's books, shared by teacher Brittany Smith, wentviral. And a Google doc compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein also shares several recommendations of what to watch and read.
Here are some recommendations pulled from those lists and crowdsourced from CNET staff.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander: This book challenges the idea that President Barack Obama's election welcomed a new age of colorblindness.
Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminismby bell hooks: This work explores issues such as the impact of sexism on black women during slavery and racism among feminists.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates: Framed as a letter to his son, Coates pursues the question of how to live free within a black body in a country built on the idea of race, a falsehood most damaging to the bodies of black women and men.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X: In this classic text, Muslim leader Malcolm X shares his life story and talks about the growth of the Black Muslim movement.
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo: This book explores how white people uphold racial inequality when they react a certain way to their assumptions about race being challenged.
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde: Black lesbian poet and feminist writer Lorde shares a collection of essays and speeches exploring sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia and class.
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis: The activist and scholar shows the link between several movements fighting oppression and state violence.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou: The author's debut memoir explores themes like loneliness, bigotry and love.
Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans From the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon: This text explores the period following the Emancipation Proclamation in which convicts were brought back into involuntary servitude.
Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi: The historian chronicles how racist ideas have shaped US history and provides tools to expose them.
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson: This book tells the story of the migration of black Americans who left the South seeking better lives.
The Price for Their Pound of Flesh: The Value of the Enslaved, From Womb to Grave, in the Building of a Nation by Daina Ramey Berry: This text explores how in early America, slaves were commodities in every phase of life.
White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson: The historian addresses the forces opposing black progress in America throughout history.
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi: The founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center uses history, science, class, gender and his own journey to examine racism and what to do to fight it in all forms.
Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America by James Forman Jr.: The author explores the war on crime starting in the 1970s and why it had the support of several African American leaders in urban areas.
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper: In a world where black women's anger is portrayed as negative and threatening, Cooper shares that anger can be a source of strength to keep fighting.
Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon: This memoir explores the impact that lies, secrets and deception have on a black body and family, as well as a nation.
Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad: This book asks readers to address their own biases, and helps white people tackle their privilege so they can stop harming people of color, even unconsciously.
The Possessive Investment in Whiteness: How White People Profit From Identity Politics by George Lipsitz: This text looks at white supremacy and explores how the concept of "whiteness" has been used to define, bludgeon and control the racialized "other."
Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty by Dorothy Roberts: This book illustrates how America systemically abuses Black women's bodies.
Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America's Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing by Dr. Joy DeGruy: This book explores the impact that repeated traumas endured across generations have on African Americans today.
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois: In this influential collection of essays, Du Bois, who played a critical role in shaping early 20th-century black protest strategy, argues that begging for rights that belong to all people is beneath a human's dignity, and accommodating to white supremacy would only maintain black oppression.
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo: The author provides a blueprint for everyone on how to honestly and productively discuss race and shares ways to bring about change.
The Underground Railroadby Colson Whitehead: This novel follows a young slave's desperate journey toward freedom.
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead: Two boys are sentenced to reform school in Florida during the Jim Crow era.
Passing by Nella Larsen: This novel explores the fluidity of racial identity through the story of a light-skinned woman who's married to a racist white man who doesn't know about her African American heritage.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi: The book tells the story of two half sisters born in different villages in 18th-century Ghana and their descendants, with one sister later living in comfort and the other sold into slavery.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: A young couple leaves Nigeria for the West, each following a different path: She confronts what it means to be black in the US, while he lives undocumented in Britain. They reunite 15 years later in Nigeria.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: The 1937 classic follows the journey of an independent black woman, Janie Mae Crawford, in her search for identity.
Roots: The Saga of an American Familyby Alex Haley: This novel is based on Haley's family history, and tells the story of Kunta Kinte, who is sold into slavery in the US.
On Beauty by Zadie Smith: This novel tells the story of an interracial family impacted by culture wars.
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison: A nameless narrator describes growing up in the south, going to and being expelled from a Negro college, moving to New York and, amid violence and confusion, ultimately going to the basement lair of the Invisible Man he sees as himself.
The Sellout by Paul Beatty: This satire follows a man who tries to reinstate slavery and segregate the local high school, leading to a Supreme Court case.
13th (Netflix): Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores racial inequality in the US, with a focus on prisons.
When They See Us (Netflix): Ava DuVernay's gut-wrenching -- and essential -- miniseries is based on the true story of the falsely accused young teens known as the Central Park Five.
Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement (BET): This documentary explores the evolution of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Dear White People (Netflix): Based on a film of the same name, this series shows the biases and injustices that a group of students of color face at Winchester University, a predominantly white Ivy League college.
American Son (Netflix): An estranged couple meet at a police station in Florida to try to find their teenage son.
If Beale Street Could Talk (Hulu): Based on the James Baldwin novel, this Barry Jenkins film centers on the love between an African American couple whose lives are torn apart when the man is falsely accused of a crime.
Blindspotting (Hulu with Cinemax): Collin needs to make it through three more days of probation, and his relationship with his best friend is tested after he sees a cop shoot a suspect during a chase.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco (Available to rent): A young black man dreams of reclaiming his childhood home in a now-gentrified neighborhood in San Francisco.
Fruitvale Station (Available to rent): Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, the biographical film tells the story of Oscar Grant III, who was killed by a white police officer in 2009.
Selma (Available to rent): Directed by Ava Duvernay, the historical drama follows civil rights demonstrators in 1965 as they marched from Selma to Montgomery.
The Hate U Give (Hulu with Cinemax) -- Based on the young adult novel by Angie Thomas: The story follows Starr Carter's struggle to balance the poor, mostly black neighborhood she lives in and the wealthy, mostly white school she attends. Things become more complicated after she witnesses a police officer killing her childhood best friend.
16 Shots (Showtime): This documentary investigates the 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in Chicago.
Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story (Paramount): This six-episode series follows the life and legacy of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who was fatally shot in 2012 in Sanford, Florida.
America to Me (Starz): The documentary series provides a look into a year at Chicago's Oak Park and River Forest High School, one of the nation's top performing and diverse public schools.
Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas (HBO): Comic and writer Wyatt Cenac explores the police's excessive use of force in black communities and discusses solutions with experts in this late-night talk/comedy series. The show is currentlyfree to watch on YouTube.
Do the Right Thing (Available to rent): Salvatore "Sal" Fragione, an Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn, and neighborhood local Buggin' Out butt heads after Buggin' Out becomes upset that the restaurant's Wall of Fame only shows Italian actors. Tensions flare up as the wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to others in the neighborhood.
BlacKkKlansman (HBO Max): Ron Stallworth, the first African-American detective to work in the Colorado Springs Police Department, sets out to infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan.
The Wire (HBO): This show explores Baltimore's narcotics scene from the perspectives of both law enforcement and drug dealers and users.
(Disclosure: CNET is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS, which also owns Paramount and Showtime.)
It's Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr: This book shares the importance of acceptance, understanding and confidence.
Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X by Ilyasah Shabazz: Written by Malcolm X's daughter, this book tells the story of the boy who became one of the most influential leaders.
Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester: Lester tells his story and discusses what makes us all special.
The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander: The award-winning picture book, based on a poem by Alexander and with illustrations by Kadir Nelson, chronicles the struggles and triumphs of black Americans.
Let it Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pinkney: This book tells the stories of courageous black women who fought against oppression, including Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman.
The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles: This tells the story of the first African American child to integrate a school in New Orleans.
Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins and Ann Hazzard: The story follows a white family and a black family discussing a police shooting of a black man in their town, and aims to answer children's questions about these kinds of events and to inspire them to challenge racial injustice.
My Hair is a Garden by Cozbi A. Cabrera: When a girl named Mackenzie is taunted by classmates about her hair, a neighbor shows her the true beauty of natural black hair.
Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh: Nearly 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, an American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage was denied entry into a "whites only" school, which led her parents to organize the Hispanic community and file a lawsuit. This ultimately ended segregated education in California.
Blended by Sharon Draper: This story about 11-year-old Isabella's blended family explores themes like divorce and racial identity.
Young Water Protectors: A Story About Standing Rock by Aslan Tudor, Kelly Tudor and Jason EagleSpeaker: A few months after 8-year-old Aslan came to North Dakota to try and stop a pipeline, he returned to find the world was now watching.
My Family Divided: One Girl's Journey of Home, Loss, and Hope by Diane Guerrero and Erica Moroz: Actress Diane Guerrero tells the story of her undocumented immigrant parents being taken from their home, detained and deported when she was a child in Boston.
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson: Two girls form a friendship atop a fence that separates the segregated African American side of town from the white side. The book is illustrated by E.B. Lewis.
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell: A citizen of the Cherokee Nation tells the story of modern Native American life.
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford: This book tells the story of Arturo Schomburg, who loved to collect books, letters, music and art from Africa and the African diaspora and to shed light on the achievements of people of African descent. His collection ultimately made it to the New York Public Library, and is now known as the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story by Reem Faruqi: When Lailah is enrolled in a new school in a new country, she's worried her classmates won't understand why she isn't joining them in the lunchroom during Ramadan.
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson: The book, with art by Rafael Lpez, is about how to be brave and find connection with others, even when you feel alone and scared.
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis: This classic tells the story of a boy's journey to find his father.
IntersectionAllies: We Make Room for All by Chelsea Johnson, LaToya Council and Carolyn Choi: Nine characters share their stories and backgrounds in this book celebrating allyship and community.
CNET's Anne Dujmovic contributed to this report.
Read the rest here:
Books and films to help people of all ages learn about systemic racism and violence - CNET
- Woodstock: From World War to Culture Wars - New York Almanack - December 2nd, 2024 [December 2nd, 2024]
- Class, the Culture Wars, and Contempt for Politics: Why we Lost in 2024 - Daily Kos - December 2nd, 2024 [December 2nd, 2024]
- Democrats should abandon government force in culture wars - Washington Examiner - December 2nd, 2024 [December 2nd, 2024]
- Anthony Jeselnik Reclaims Gallows Humour From The Culture Wars On New Special 'Bones And All' - DeadAnt - December 2nd, 2024 [December 2nd, 2024]
- Kitchen-table issues, not culture wars, helped Democrats avoid 2024 wipeout - Washington Examiner - December 2nd, 2024 [December 2nd, 2024]
- Child Protection: Hungarys Far-Right Is Grabbing the Initiative in the Culture Wars - Balkan Insight - December 2nd, 2024 [December 2nd, 2024]
- Climate change and even tethered bottle caps have got sucked into the culture wars - The Irish Times - December 2nd, 2024 [December 2nd, 2024]
- Column | Can our spending habits help explain the culture wars? - The Washington Post - November 21st, 2024 [November 21st, 2024]
- Lawmakers Are Trying to Take the Culture Wars Out of Defense Budget Negotiations - NOTUS - November 21st, 2024 [November 21st, 2024]
- Religion-state separation is about to take center stage in the US culture wars - The Times of Israel - November 21st, 2024 [November 21st, 2024]
- Did Democrats lose on the economy or the culture wars? Three strategists weigh in - KUOW News and Information - November 17th, 2024 [November 17th, 2024]
- In Conversation with Culture Wars: New Single It Hurts - Flaunt Magazine - November 17th, 2024 [November 17th, 2024]
- No more faggots and Gypsy Creams! How the culture wars came for cookery - The Telegraph - November 17th, 2024 [November 17th, 2024]
- Trump Will Bring The School Culture Wars To Every State - HuffPost - November 17th, 2024 [November 17th, 2024]
- How the mega-rich are throwing their financial heft into culture wars on college campuses - The Telegraph - October 18th, 2024 [October 18th, 2024]
- What kind of person would drag autistic children into the culture wars? The Kemi Badenoch kind - The Guardian - October 18th, 2024 [October 18th, 2024]
- Have hurricanes gotten swept up in the culture wars? - KCRW - October 18th, 2024 [October 18th, 2024]
- OUTRAGE: Movies and the Culture Wars, 19871996 - BAM | Brooklyn Academy of Music - October 18th, 2024 [October 18th, 2024]
- What is Platos Symposium, the classic book drawn into the Gender Queer culture wars? - The Conversation - October 18th, 2024 [October 18th, 2024]
- The EV Culture Wars Arent What They Seem - The Atlantic - October 7th, 2024 [October 7th, 2024]
- British history is being destroyed before our eyes and it has nothing to do with culture wars over statues - The Guardian - October 7th, 2024 [October 7th, 2024]
- 'Culture wars' burning in B.C.s combative election - Vancouver Sun - October 7th, 2024 [October 7th, 2024]
- Professional culture wars in maternity care: we should focus on shared values, not differing beliefs - The Nuffield Trust - October 7th, 2024 [October 7th, 2024]
- Culture Wars And Unconstitutional Laws: The Threat To America's Future - Forbes - October 3rd, 2024 [October 3rd, 2024]
- America is over the Moms For Liberty culture wars - People For the American Way - October 3rd, 2024 [October 3rd, 2024]
- The Unusual Swing States; The Ballot Questions NYC Voters Will See in November; 100 Years of 100 Things: School Culture Wars - WNYC - September 26th, 2024 [September 26th, 2024]
- A South Australian MPs mad anti-abortion bill shows the culture wars are far from over - The Guardian - September 26th, 2024 [September 26th, 2024]
- From the desk ofHarris can end the Trump-Vance culture wars. Heres how. - Ukiah Daily Journal - September 26th, 2024 [September 26th, 2024]
- Ramification | Assassination attempts on Trump are an extension of culture wars dominating US elections - Firstpost - September 26th, 2024 [September 26th, 2024]
- Opinion: E.J. Dionne: Harris can end the Trump-Vance culture wars. Heres how. - Boulder Daily Camera - September 21st, 2024 [September 21st, 2024]
- Television Review: FXs English Teacher Educating During the Culture Wars - artsfuse.org - September 21st, 2024 [September 21st, 2024]
- The Era Of Government Stoking Culture Wars Is Over: New UK Culture Secretary Promises End To Divisive Decade - Deadline - September 21st, 2024 [September 21st, 2024]
- Opinion | Harris can end the Trump-Vance culture wars. Heres how. - The Washington Post - September 16th, 2024 [September 16th, 2024]
- Niki Savva's Canberra: the culture wars eroding trust in our political parties - ABC News - September 16th, 2024 [September 16th, 2024]
- Americans retirement investments are at the mercy of the culture wars - Fortune - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- America is over the Moms For Liberty culture wars - The Hill - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- Opinion - America is over the Moms For Liberty culture wars - AOL - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- Episode 675: Mark Sayers Pastoring in a Partisan Age: Part 6. The Reasons People Are So Upset, The Rise of The Culture Wars, Conspiracy Theories,... - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- Breaking bread and ending culture wars - America: The Jesuit Review - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- A Wave Thats on the Decline? Trump to Talk to Parents Leading the Culture Wars. - The New York Times - September 6th, 2024 [September 6th, 2024]
- Nigel Biggar: Only Badenoch grasps the importance of fighting the culture wars - ConservativeHome - September 6th, 2024 [September 6th, 2024]
- The General v. the Pope opens a new front in Italys culture wars - Crux Now - September 6th, 2024 [September 6th, 2024]
- Episode 674: NT WrightPastoring in a Partisan Age: Part 5. Why Christians Have Bought Into The Culture Wars, How the Gospel is Political, and Advice... - September 6th, 2024 [September 6th, 2024]
- Adam Sandler is flourishing by avoiding culture wars / "Fake heiress" Anna Delvey is going Dancing / Why are so many TV shows at fancy film... - September 6th, 2024 [September 6th, 2024]
- Robert Jenrick is wrong about the culture wars - The Spectator - September 6th, 2024 [September 6th, 2024]
- Back-to-school plans impacted by culture wars nationwide - ABC News - August 16th, 2024 [August 16th, 2024]
- Part 2: Story Circles Politics, Culture Wars, and Distrust of Government - Daily Yonder - August 16th, 2024 [August 16th, 2024]
- I cycled 4,000 miles across the US and learnt about culture wars in the pub - inews - August 16th, 2024 [August 16th, 2024]
- School board primaries reflect the culture wars going on nationwide - WUSF - August 16th, 2024 [August 16th, 2024]
- The culture wars have reached the countryside but Radio 4 only got under the topsoil - The Telegraph - August 14th, 2024 [August 14th, 2024]
- The 2024 Paris Olympics Has Been Flooded With Culture Wars - Junkee - August 14th, 2024 [August 14th, 2024]
- Republican Events - Culture Wars: The Axis Club supporting BANNERS - Olean Times Herald - August 14th, 2024 [August 14th, 2024]
- How the culture wars poisoned American politics and how to fix it | On Point - WBUR News - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Dont let our culture wars steal the joy from the Olympics and Team USAs success | Politi - NJ.com - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Public libraries are at the center of culture wars - WCVB Boston - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- How to end America's 'culture wars' - WBUR News - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- The Olympics Meet the Culture Wars - Slate - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Will IVF really be the next frontier in America's culture wars? - The Economist - July 6th, 2024 [July 6th, 2024]
- Britain's Imperial Past Has Become a Battleground in the Culture Wars - New Lines Magazine - July 6th, 2024 [July 6th, 2024]
- Culture wars spark again as House weighs massive defense policy bill - The Washington Post - June 12th, 2024 [June 12th, 2024]
- Gaza and the End of the Culture War as We Know It - New Lines Magazine - June 12th, 2024 [June 12th, 2024]
- Exclusive: Keir Starmer Says He Will End Tory Culture Wars If He Becomes Prime Minister - Yahoo Movies UK - June 12th, 2024 [June 12th, 2024]
- A new Disney ride opens June 28, splashing right out of the culture wars - KSL.com - June 12th, 2024 [June 12th, 2024]
- A new Disney ride opens soon, splashing right out of the culture wars - AOL - June 12th, 2024 [June 12th, 2024]
- Stand up or sit down: are culture wars changing the way brands support Pride? | shots - Shots - June 12th, 2024 [June 12th, 2024]
- A new Disney ride opens soon, splashing right out of the culture wars - The Albany Herald - June 12th, 2024 [June 12th, 2024]
- Keir Starmer will not end the culture war - Spiked - June 12th, 2024 [June 12th, 2024]
- On culture wars and the hypocrisy of the Catholic Left - Catholic World Report - June 2nd, 2024 [June 2nd, 2024]
- Culture wars replacing fiscal discipline as calling card of today's GOP - Villages-News - June 2nd, 2024 [June 2nd, 2024]
- Back to Back's Multiple Bad Things takes a sophisticated look at the moral ambiguities of today's 'culture wars' - The Conversation - June 2nd, 2024 [June 2nd, 2024]
- Book Review: So you think the culture wars are new? Shakespeare expert James Shapiro begs to differ - The Caledonian-Record - June 2nd, 2024 [June 2nd, 2024]
- Majority of AAPI adults support teaching history of racism in schools, new poll finds - The Christian Science Monitor - June 2nd, 2024 [June 2nd, 2024]
- Michele Tafoya Breaks Down The Butker Brouhaha: 'The Culture Wars Are Running Deep' - The Daily Wire - June 2nd, 2024 [June 2nd, 2024]
- In the Alabama Legislature, it's culture wars first, retirees second Alabama Reflector - Alabama Reflector - May 23rd, 2024 [May 23rd, 2024]
- Let's take cycling out of the culture wars - PoliticsHome - May 23rd, 2024 [May 23rd, 2024]
- Elon Musk and the Signal vs. Telegram debate - Fortune - May 23rd, 2024 [May 23rd, 2024]
- The myth of progressive Catholicism - The New Statesman - May 23rd, 2024 [May 23rd, 2024]
- Plant-based meat alternatives are trying to exit culture wars an impossible task? - Japan Today - May 20th, 2024 [May 20th, 2024]
- Friday essay: 'me against you' Jon Ronson investigates the perpetual outrage of the culture wars - The Conversation - May 20th, 2024 [May 20th, 2024]
- Plant-based meat alternatives are trying to exit the culture wars an impossible task? - The Conversation - May 20th, 2024 [May 20th, 2024]