A quick Google of “Black Lives Matter Reading List” will lead you to much better sites than this one for suggestions on what to read right now to learn about racism in America and the current movement. But I wanted to share a few links to recent podcasts, videos, and books that I’ve found both informative and helpful on the subject.
Ibram X. Kendi on How to Be an Antiracist: This is a great conversation between Brene Brown and the bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist. It’s just over an hour so put on your headphones, take a walk, and consider how we can uproot racism and inequality in our society.
This Human Race: People have mixed feelings about Andy Stanley, but I love his direct and smart manner of preaching. In last week’s sermon he points out that Jesus was all about people whose lives and lifestyles didn’t look like his, and that it is imperative that we listen to those who don’t necessarily experience the world as we do.
8:46: This is probably the only link-down that will include a Dave Chappelle show next to a sermon, but I thought this Netflix special was so powerful. For half an hour Chappelle addresses police brutality, and while it will illicit a few laughs, this isn’t comedy. He’s angry. But he’s so smart and such a good speaker, that his anger only helps to propel viewers through a history lesson in violence and oppression. The line that resonated with me, as so many (white) people are now starting to say that they’re ready for the protests to end, was when Chapelle shared his reaction after watching the video of George Floyd’s murder: “When I finally watched it, I understood,” he said. “Nobody’s going home.”
As I said, there are plenty of great reading lists out there, but I did want to mention two books that have stuck with me around this subject. The first is The New Jim Crow. I read (and wrote about) this book a few years ago, and it completely shifted my view on our justice system. The second is Between the World and Me. This is written as a letter from Ta-Nehisi Coates to his teenage son about being black in America, and, really, this book should be required reading for every person in the country right now.
Have any other recommendations for great reads or podcasts on the subject? I’d love to hear them.
Sarah Crosland 