A Glimpse at Some Reading

Reading does make a big difference for social justice issues. It doesn’t make the only difference, but stories are the essence of what it means to be human. They are how we can see each other, create community and relationships, and form lasting change. Words, ideas, and stories change the way we think about things and what we believe is possible. They create understanding and genuine caring.

Reading books like Layla F. Saad’s Me And White Supremacy that open awareness to the history of racism is a wonderful starting place, but reading the poems and stories of non-white writers make us real, they make our lived experiences realer too and connect your hearts to ours through a deepened understanding of human experiences and struggles.

If you’re currently “diversifying your feed,” please also consider if the stories and poetry you read is also written by all or mostly white writers. If the answer is yes, I invite you to the next step of diversifying what you consider literature and literary canon to be.

Click on the book covers below for more information on a handful of great books by BIPOC writers!

You can also check out The Free Black Women’s Library and follow them on Instagram @thefreeblackwomenslibrary!