Since last summer, I have dedicated much of my free time to reading books on anti-oppression. I believe in order to be a better ally to marginalized groups, it’s important to understand what marginalization they go through and to read materials on how to be helpful in their fight for liberation. Over time, I’ve come across many books that I think are essential to anyone’s reading list. I chose three for this article so it isn’t overwhelming for those who want to start reading this type of literature.
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Olou
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This is an all-time favorite of mine. I’ve hosted book clubs for different groups and every time I have, I make this book first on the reading list. I think that this is an amazing introduction to reading anti-racist literature because of how well Ijeoma Olou breaks concepts down. She speaks plainly and truthfully, which makes the content refreshingly real and easy to understand.
- How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
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The storytelling aspect used to explain every chapter is very reminiscent of Ijeoma Olou’s writing. If you end up being a fan of her book, I would 100% recommend Ibram X. Kendi’s book. I’m very appreciative of how this book is also a good introductory book to different topics but covers more difficult topics than Ijeoma Olou’s book.
- An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
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I love this book with all of my heart. I read it for the first time when I was 16 after a recommendation from an advisor and ever since, I’ve always held this book close to my heart. I think this is probably one of the hardest books I’ve read; the content is moderately difficult to understand but it’s so heartbreaking to read. It may be a book that you find you have to take a break from occasionally because it’s very heavy, but it’ll also give you really important understanding and insight.
I hope this starter list helps you find good books on anti-oppression that help you learn and understand more. My biggest advice is please make sure that whenever you’re reading a book on anti-oppression, it is written by someone who’s a part of that group. It’s weird when people write books about the oppression of a group they’re not a part of and it’s even more uncomfortable that they profit from writing that book about the oppression they don’t experience. There are so many wonderful and informative books by people part of these groups who experience marginalization; get a book from them.