One thing I want you to be wary about when you are just learning about these issues are white people who are making money off of talking about structural racism. White people need to do the work, they need to be allies, but… Capitalism underpins our entire society. Try to support authors and DEIA leaders who are integrated into their community in ways such that if they do end up being not-the-most-ethical, their community will hold them accountable.

This list is currently short and includes works that might be unexpected. Connected thoughts to what I have chosen to present on the list: That emotionally, mentally, and spiritually working though this issue will take more than one type of book. That its important to listen to a variety of authors, which nearly by necessity means they will not be writing about the same thing, and might not be targeting racism explicitly.

“White Like Me” was the first book I read that I felt clearly enunciated how a white person might be deeply upset and impacted by racism—I am from Philadelphia, racism impacts my community, point blank. I hope Tim Wise’s words help other white people see their own way of how racism impacts their community.

“So you want to talk about race” by Ijeoma Olou authentically, directly and concisely answers questions that come up—like, the idea that class can explain what happens in our society rather than race. Spoiler alert, it does not.

I include Sonya Taylor’s book, “The Body is not an Apology,” which definitely is an introduction and invites “beginners” in, though you might not currently be aware of how fat-phobia ties to anti-black attitudes.

I include “In the Shadow of the Valley” to highlight that structural racism cannot be thought about without also touching on other deeply embedded issues in society, such as classism.

“Braiding Sweetgrass” highlights indigenous ways of connecting to the natural world, which is a way to help yourself understand structural racism—by seeing that white narratives, and/or dominant American narratives, are not the whole story.

“The Other Wes Moore” stands out in my memory for highlighting for me that as a white person, I may not be the one who needs to take direct action. Not that I shouldn’t take responsibility for my actions and my community, but that I simply cannot be a black male role model, and so, sometimes, my course of action is to consciously do something else that is in my control. It has many other details that make it worth reading, and other people may take different messages to be more meaningful to them.