Official Blurb
Antiracism is a
transformative concept that reorients and reenergizes the conversation about
racism—and, even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of
thinking about ourselves and each other. At its core, racism is a powerful
system that creates false hierarchies of human value; its warped logic extends
beyond race, from the way we regard people of different ethnicities or skin
colors to the way we treat people of different sexes, gender identities, and
body types. Racism intersects with class and culture and geography and even
changes the way we see and value ourselves. In How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi takes readers through a widening circle of antiracist
ideas—from the most basic concepts to visionary possibilities—that will help
readers see all forms of racism clearly, understand their poisonous
consequences, and work to oppose them in our systems and in ourselves.
Kendi weaves an electrifying combination of ethics, history,
law, and science with his own personal story of awakening to antiracism. This
is an essential work for anyone who wants to go beyond the awareness of racism
to the next step: contributing to the formation of a just and equitable society.
About the Author
IBRAM X. KENDI is a #1 New
York Times bestselling author and the founding director of the Antiracist
Research and Policy Center at American University. A professor of history and
international relations and a frequent public speaker, Kendi is a columnist at
The Atlantic and contributor at CBS News. Beginning July 1, 2020, Kendi will
become Professor of History and the Founding Director of the Boston University
Center for Antiracist Research. He will also become the 2020-2021 Frances B.
Cashin Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for the Advanced Study at Harvard
University.
Kendi is the author of STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING: The
Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book
Award for Nonfiction, and THE BLACK CAMPUS MOVEMENT, which won the W.E.B. Du
Bois Book prize. He is also the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers,
HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST, and STAMPED: Racism, Antiracism, and You, a young
adult remix of STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING, co-authored with Jason Reynolds. He
most recently authored the board book for caretakers and little ones, ANTIRACIST BABY.
Kendi has published numerous essays in periodicals, including
The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, The Huffington Post, and The
Root. Kendi has received research fellowships, grants, and visiting
appointments from a variety of universities, foundations, professional
associations, and libraries, including the American Historical Association,
Library of Congress, National Academy of Education, Lyndon B. Johnson Library
& Museum, Rutgers Center for Historical Analysis, Brown University,
Princeton University, Duke University, University of Chicago, and UCLA. He was
a 2019 Guggenheim Fellow. Before entering academia, Kendi trained and worked as
a journalist. He earned his undergraduate degrees from Florida A&M
University, and his doctorate from Temple University. Kendi lives in Boston, MA.
Book Review
“It is best to challenge ourselves by dragging ourselves
before people who intimidate us with their brilliance and constructive
criticism” p. 199.
Glad I challenged myself to read this and think about what it means for me.
Wow. Changed my perspective on the world in so many ways. This books will stay
with me…forever.
An antiracist is “one who is supporting antiracist policy through their actions
or expressing an antiracist idea” (p. 13) An antiracist loves you for being you
– not for being like them but for being who you are.
Racism is rooted in self-interest, greediness for power. (Ignorance is
essentially a byproduct of racism and racist policies.)
As educators, we don’t always realize how our way of being with children or
young adults may be influenced by the racist & assimilationist views of the
world around us, of the world we were raised in. Being an anti-racist is
freaking hard. Dr. Kendi reflects on his own growth towards this throughout the
book, acknowledging periods in his life, moments in his life when he has been a
racist, an assimilationist, and an antiracist. (This is part of his brilliance
by the way.) We have to be very observant and intentional to make the shift
towards being an antiracist and we may (will) still have moments (days,
periods) when we are not.
The chapters are dense but manageable (ranging from 8-12 pages). Each chapter
begins and ends with an anecdote from Dr. Kendi’s life. We meet him in second
grade, middle school, high school and on. The last chapter is framed with his
life during the writing of this book. After he pulls you into a chapter with a
revealing anecdote, he moves into discussing a particular topic related to
racism – behavior, culture, gender, etc. POWERFUL STUFF.
You can grab your copy from here,
US, UK, Canada readers:
How to Be an Antiracist
Indian readers:
How to Be an Antiracist
Welcome to "JD's Book Journey"!! I'm your host JD, 23 years old man with lots of passion for books. Started my book journey Six years ago, from that day to present-day read lots of books be it fiction or nonfiction. My personal favorites are Self-help and Business books. JD's Book Journey features - Book Reviews, Author details, Inspirational Quotes from the books and much more.So, I hope you'll also join me on my journey...
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