Ibram X. Kendi

How to Be an Antiracist

From the National Book Award-winning author of Stamped from the Beginning comes a bracingly original approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality in our society--and in ourselves. "The only way to undo racism is to consistently identify and describe it--and then dismantle it." Ibram X. Kendi's concept of antiracism reenergizes and reshapes the conversation about racial justice in America--but even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. In How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi asks us to think about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it. In this book, Kendi weaves an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science, bringing it all together with an engaging personal narrative of his own awakening to antiracism. How to Be an Antiracist is an essential work for anyone who wants to go beyond an awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a truly just and equitable society. Advance praise for How to Be an Antiracist "This latest from the National Book Award-winning author is no guidebook to getting woke. . . . Rather, it is a combination of memoir and extension of . . . Kendi's towering Stamped From the Beginning that leads readers through a taxonomy of racist thought to anti-racist action. . . . Never wavering . . . Kendi methodically examines racism through numerous lenses: power, biology, ethnicity, body, culture, and so forth. . . . If Kendi is justifiably hard on America, he's just as hard on himself. . . . This unsparing honesty helps readers, both white and people of color, navigate this difficult intellectual territory. Not an easy read but an essential one."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Ibram Kendi is today's visionary in the enduring struggle for racial justice. In this personal and revelatory new work, he yet again holds up a transformative lens, challenging both mainstream and antiracist orthodoxy. He illuminates the foundations of racism in revolutionary new ways, and I am consistently challenged and inspired by his analysis. How to Be an Antiracist offers us a necessary and critical way forward."--Robin DiAngelo, New York Times bestselling author of White Fragility

Ryan Mateyk

Marcy Pursell 

** spoiler alert **
           This want what I expected, but I really enjoyed it. I downloaded the audiobook, and listened to Ibram X. Kendi share narratives from throughout his life. I appreciated that even in undergrad, graduate school, and thereafter, he continued to learn and realize aspects about himself, and that it's a continuous process.

Abhimat Gautam

This book is a powerful mix of education in racism and anti racism, with personal life stories and useful historical evidence to back it all up. It’s a valuable complement to Dr. Kendi’s previous book _Stamped From the Beginning_ which deeply examined the history of racist ideas in American history.

There’s several useful lessons and perspectives from this book and from understanding racism in the context of history. Ultimately I think the most useful perspective is this: racist policies cause racial inequities, which perpetuate racist ideas. With historical context it becomes so obvious that racist policies lead to racial inequities and racist ideas, and not the other way around as so much of our everyday discussion around these ideas frames it. Fighting racism is most effective when fighting against racist policies.

I found this book powerful, useful, and educational.

Freso

I really enjoyed listening to Ibram telling both his own life story at the same time as he related his growing up to various racist/antiracist topics and ideas. The path that led him come to terms with his own antiblackness and then move on from there to start being antiracist, in turn facing other intersecting bigotries of e.g. classism, sexism/misogyny, queerphobia and transphobia.

To truly be antiracist is to be feminist. To truly be feminist is to be antiracist. […] We cannot be antiracist if we are homophobic or transphobic. […] All Black lives include those of poor transgender Black women, perhaps the most violated and oppressed of all the Black intersectional groups.

The fact that Class, Gender, and Sexuality have a whole chapter each devoted to them is great. Ibram, as a cishet black man, explores his reckoning with his privileges as a cishet man and how he’s been unaware of the struggles of non-men, non-heterosexuals, non-cis gendered (black) people, and how he – as a consequence – thus have contributed to these struggles. In the same way white people are unaware of the struggles of people of colour and thus inadvertently contribute to these struggles.

I do feel like he’s ultimately coming from a reformist point‐of‐view and think the current system can be salvaged. He doesn’t talk about how the construction of arbitrary borders and nation states/countries is inherently racist but does talk a lot about seizing power (possibly as opposed to building dual power?) and using that power to reform the current system, not replace the system. But he also calls himself anticapitalist, so maybe I’m missing something.

Either way. Definitely worth a read (or, in my case, listen), just maybe don’t let it be your go‐to for anticapitalist antiracism. :)

Zoe Stricker

Mary Rose Luksha

There are so many things I loved about this book I don’t know where to start. The concept of a memoir broken down into stories that highlight the path to anti racism. Kendi’s clear and passionate language. His insights into his own racism and his willingness to self-critique to learn and grow. He is asking us to do the work he has already done himself and the vulnerability and authenticity in that is exquisite. And lastly, the fact that he is a Temple alum!! #TUMF

Patty Pforte

Beautifully told stories interspersed with facts, history, definitions!

elif sinem

Simultaneously too entry-level and convoluted at once. Blending socialist ideas into this "anti racist anti classist" pot only to ditch it near the end as just being "antiracist" is... a choice. Also while I get the idea behind "you can be racist to white people," I think it'll give white people the wrong idea in a world where "reverse racism" is already used.

Cindy Lieberman

“The good news is that racist and antiracist are not fixed identities. We can be racist one minute and antiracist the next. What we say about race, what we do about race, in each moment, determines what — not who — we are.”

This quote, this very personal book by Dr. Kendi, this time of #BLM, all are helping me become a more consistently antiracist member of society. At the same time, I am re-examining the mostly assimilationist views of my upbringing that have shaped my “go along to get along” nature (thanks, dad).

Kendi gives us permission to unknowingly, innocently fail while we continue to learn, grow, and evolve. That’s very important for those of us educating ourselves and trying to check our privilege every time we open our mouths. Change is good.

Elizabeth Morris

Quite possibly one of the best books I've read in a long time. As someone who actively works on racial and ethnic disparities within the juvenile Justice system for my job, this introduced me to some new revolutionary ways of thinking of racism in our society, but also ways to begin addressing it through antiracist policies. There are a few sections that I immediately was shocked by, for instance his statement that black people can indeed be racist against white people. I'm not sure I agree with that, even after reading his book in entirety. I'm definitely going to need to keep re-reading sections as I work to apply his approach to my job and personal life.

Flavia Louise

This was very educational and a great listen.

A great exploration of racism in America. I listened to this as an audiobook, as I do with most of my nonfiction, and it was paced really well. I do feel like this is particularly catering toward white people who are just starting to read/learn about racism, so this is a fantastic starting point. In that sense, it leans a bit more into the basics. Overall a good informative read.

Brian Walborn

A terrific introduction in how to recognize racism. I found the concept of behavioral racism to be the most prevalent and insidious form. When discussed in a group setting the prevalence of such racist thinking becomes clear.

Excerpt: Making individuals responsible for the perceived behavior of racial groups and making whole racial groups responsible for the behavior of individuals are the two ways that behavior racism infects our perception of the world. Every time someone racializes behavior- describes something as "Black behavior"- they are expressing a racist idea. To be an antiracist is to recognize there is no such thing as racial behavior.

Powerful. And a great addition for those looking to educate themselves or others about racism.

Margaret Sh.

“When we fail to open the closed-minded consumers of racist ideas, we blame their closed-mindedness instead of our foolish decision to waste time reviving closed minds from the dead. When our vicious attacks on open-minded consumers of racist ideas fail to transform them, we blame their hate rather than our impatient and alienating hate of them. When people fail to consume our convoluted antiracist ideas, we blame their stupidity rather than our stupid lack of clarity. When we transform people and do not show them an avenue of support, we blame their lack of commitment rather than our lack of guidance. When the politician we supported does not change racist policy, we blame the intractability of racism rather than our support of the wrong politician. When we fail to gain support for a protest, we blame the fearful rather than our alienating presentation. When the protest fails, we blame racist power rather than our flawed protest. When our policy does not produce racial equity, we blame the people for not taking advantage of the new opportunity, not our flawed policy solution. The failure doctrine avoids the mirror of self-blame. The failure doctrine begets failure. The failure doctrine begets racism.”

- Ibram X. Kendi
pages 184 & 185.

Caroline Lewicki

I absolutely loved "How to be an Antiracist" and I wholeheartedly believe that Ibram X. Kendi is a powerful voice for our generation. Kendi suggests ways that we can go beyond neutrality and accomplish truly antiracist policies, personal beliefs, and ultimately a more antiracist world. He draws a beautiful comparison between racism and a cancer that is not incurable. His hopefulness that we can change is incredible and inspiring. He recognizes his own racist tendencies and points out issues that I overlooked and didn't recognize existed. I highly recommend this book to anyone striving to be more antiracist.

Caitlin Snyder

Robin Sturm

Truly leading by example, fantastically intersectional. Makes you want to be better and make society better.

Charlee Boone

Extremely digestible and informative. Loved the clear breakdowns of different elements/influences for the current state of racism and how we got here. Learned so much.

Maggie

This book was enlightening. I particularly appreciated the framing of actions a either racist or anti-racist, with "not racist" actions as racist be default. It made important ties between major historical events, differing perspectives, and modern lived experiences, proving ultimately that racism and capitalism are twins tied together in oppression. It's a truly helpful book. 

Still, I'm uncertain about the author's assertion that Black people can be racist towards White people. While the line of thought Kendi uses makes perfect sense- to say that Black people cannot be racist is to say they have no power, which is false. The examples he gives are exceptionally good ones. But I've always been taught that racism is a system of oppression, and within that system Black people cannot be racist towards White people; discrimination is possible, but not racism. Coming from a place of privilege, in this case specifically my white identity, this is something I'll have to continue to read about, question, and consider.

Sahi K

I’ve been working through Dr. Kendi’s work backwards starting with his coauthored book with Jason Reynolds, Stamped which was brilliant and then proceeding to this one. But it all started when I got the opportunity to listen to him speak about this book in an event last fall and it was such an emotional experience even though I’m not Black. And listening to this book through audio narrated by him felt very similar.

I expected this one to read more like an academic work like Stamped and it is that, but in equal terms, it is also the author’s part memoir. While each chapter talks about a different intersection of racism/antiracism, it’s also told through a progression of his own life beginning with his parents’ life and as an evolution of his own ideas from racist to antiracist. And that is one major reason this book clicks - the author uses his own experiences and how he had to confront his own wrong beliefs and actions to start antiracist work as the basis for the book - which allows us a reader also to be able to question ourselves, without feeling defensive, and challenging ourselves to be better and act better. And I really appreciated how the book discusses lots of intersections of racist policies, including but not limited to ethnicity, colorism, gender, sexuality, class, culture etc. It really shows how we can embody antiracist ideas across one spectrum but be racist across another, and how it is our duty to introspect and get rid of our racist ideas across the board and start working towards antiracism.

Other than the author’s framing of the importance of action and the immense need for the repealing of racist policies, what I also took away was the importance of defining clearly what we are talking about. In this day and age of social media and trolling, where the difference between who gets to speak their opinions without critique and who doesn’t is even more stark - it’s a necessity that we have the right vocabulary to talk about and defend our policies and positions, because there are too many people who would question us and engage in bad faith. And giving any unjust action the right word gives it a weight that helps us in understanding and explaining its significance as well as its impact. One such example that really resonated with me was the author’s explanation that “microagressions” as a word might sometimes feel minimizing because of the usage of “micro” in it and how the affect of facing microaggressions on the daily by Black people is in no way micro in the way it traumatizes them; and so it should be called what it is - “racial abuse”. There are many such examples and it’s this personal touch that really ensures that we can’t forget the ideas in the book easily.

To conclude, I think this is a great work to help us realize what kind of racist ideas we have been believing knowingly or unknowingly, and what should we do to dispel them and start on the path to do actual antiracist work and confront the racist policies that are deeply entrenched in our society. And the fact that the author wrote this book when he was undergoing treatment for stage 4 colon cancer and confronting his own mortality gives more heft to the anger and urgency that we feel seeped through its pages. We have to do the antiracist work, and we have to do it now, and waiting for someone else to come save us will only be a detriment for our society and country.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the National Book Award–winning author of Stamped from the Beginning comes a “groundbreaking” (Time) approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality in our society—and in ourselves. “The most courageous book to date on the problem of race in the Western mind.”—The New York Times NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Time • NPR • The Washington Post • Shelf Awareness • Library Journal • Publishers Weekly • Kirkus Reviews 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. Praise for How to Be an Antiracist “Ibram X. Kendi’s new book, How to Be an Antiracist, couldn’t come at a better time. . . . Kendi has gifted us with a book that is not only an essential instruction manual but also a memoir of the author’s own path from anti-black racism to anti-white racism and, finally, to antiracism. . . . How to Be an Antiracist gives us a clear and compelling way to approach, as Kendi puts it in his introduction, ‘the basic struggle we’re all in, the struggle to be fully human and to see that others are fully human.’ ”—NPR “Kendi dissects why in a society where so few people consider themselves to be racist the divisions and inequalities of racism remain so prevalent. How to Be an Antiracist punctures the myths of a post-racial America, examining what racism really is—and what we should do about it.”—Time

Caitlin

This incredible work completely opened my eyes to so much that I thought knew something about already, so much that I felt like I had thought through, and it was enlightening, to say the least. I’m so grateful to Ibram X. Kendi for this book, for really encouraging us to look not just around us, but inside ourselves, in order to transform our thinking and actions — to be antiracist. A wonderful, powerful read I would (and will!) recommend to everyone.

Jennifer Dieter

I’m really glad I read Stamped from the Beginning first, because I think understanding the history of antiracist and racist ideas enhanced my understanding of How to Be an Antiracist. Dr. Kendi
has completely changed how I view racism and his words have strengthened my own journey to be more antiracist.

Alex Jones

A life altering work delivered at a critical time

Dr. Kendi’s writing is fluid and engaging as he expertly teaches complex concepts through his personal journey to becoming anti-racist. In many ways, this was hard to read, it for all the right reasons. The difficulty came in absorbing what he teaches and honestly evaluating my own history and my own outlook so I can change myself and those parts of the world that I touch. 

I will be digesting and revisiting these concepts and outlooks for years to come, as I know I will have to remind myself what it means to be effectively anti-racist for the rest of my life. 

If I could set required reading for every American, this book would be it.