[title subtitle=”RECOMMENDATIONS Sara Putman, Bookish”][/title]
Interested in learning more and educating yourself about antiracism? Our friends at Bookish, Fort Smith, Arkansas’s only independently-owned bookstore, recommend these five powerful, must-read books. Shop hours: Monday 11am-4pm, Tuesday – Friday 10am-6pm and Saturday 10am-4pm. Need curbside delivery? Call 479.434.2917 or email orders@bookishfs.com.
How to be an AntiRacist
by Ibram X. Kendi
A historian who teaches at American University, Kendi defines what it means to be antiracist while helping us visualize what an antiracist society might look like and how we can help build it. Kendi uses his expertise in history, law, and science to share his own journey towards antiracism. This is a must-read for those interested in making real change in our communities.
Stamped
by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
This is the book you need if you are just learning the foundations of Black history in the United States. Reynolds “remixes” Kendi’s National Book Award winning book Stamped from the Beginning into something from which all readers can learn.
Just Mercy
by Bryan Stevenson
In Stevenson’s memoir we are introduced to a first-hand account of the atrocities of the American prison system. Stevenson graduates from law school and moves to Alabama to represent death row inmates. The story will shake you to your core and open your eyes to injustices that so many of us have been privileged enough to ignore.
The Vanishing Half
by Brit Bennett
This novel introduces us to the Vignes twins who grow up in a small, southern black community. When they disappear at the age of sixteen, the town is in turmoil. But eventually, one sister comes back with her black daughter. The other sister secretly passes for white. Bennett’s novel grapples with how we see the past. Does it shape us? Define us? Is it something we can erase?
Black Wall Street
by Hannibal B. Johnson
Johnson is a regional author and graduate of Harvard Law School. The history Johnson provides throughout is footnoted and his narrative is captivating. This is a book that will help continue your education about our local history. Most people have not heard about this brutal massacre, and Johnson goes beyond the atrocities and focuses on the regeneration after the massacre.
