Anti-Racist Reading: Resources at Stanford

So You Want to Read So You Want to Talk about Race

[Note: The text below was written in June 2020. We have preserved it to provide context for why this display was originally created. This site has since been updated and is still being maintained.]

Anti-racist reading lists have proliferated over the past few weeks, and many of the books featured have shot to the top of the New York Times bestsellers list. Like us, you may have committed to read some and tried to purchase them, only to discover that the books most frequently recommended are sold out everywhere! Never fear – even with our physical collections closed, your library provides digital access to many of the books making repeat appearances on collections of anti-racist works.

We’ve collected links to our digital versions of those titles here, as well as links to other titles you can access online that focus more narrowly on specific topics or aren’t getting as much reading list attention. The primary focus is on books discussing anti-Black racism. These lists only contain titles that you can access online through Stanford's libraries; there are many more in print that we’d recommend, but this list focuses on those you can access right now.  We’ve also included some films available online through our subscriptions.  

If you want to find additional resources or explore other topics, your librarians can help! Just email us at reference@law.stanford.edu, or connect with us using any of the other methods on our home page. 

How to use these lists: You don’t need to read all of these books, and you don’t need to finish them quickly. If you’re trying to learn more about racial (in)justice and anti-Black racism...

• Try picking one or two that are relevant to gaps in your knowledge you’ve identified or areas of particular interest for you. 

• Try starting or joining a book club to talk about it with others. (But please don't only join a book club.)

• Try thinking about how to act on what you’re learning in your daily life, in your relationships, in your organizations. 

• Try pausing as you read to really process what you’re reading; the thoughts and emotions you have in response; the way it changes or enriches your understanding of the world around you; the ways in which you might feel called to action.

Click on the thumbnails above (or below) to access the lists we've compiled. Titles are arranged alphabetically within each category. All links go the title’s page on SearchWorks, and you can access them with your SUNet ID by clicking on the link on the left of the page under “Available online.” Some of these titles are only available temporarily, and some have limits on the number of users that can read them at a time; these limitations will be indicated on their SearchWorks page.