Student Resources

Understanding Race and Racism

The Elliott School Council on Diversity and Inclusion has compiled a list of resources for our community to use as we continue to deepen our knowledge of diversity, equity, inclusion, and racial justice. This list was developed based on crowdsourced suggestions from the Elliott School community. While comprehensive, it is by no means exhaustive. Suggestions for additional resources are welcome and can be submitted to [email protected].

In alphabetical order by title

  • An African American and Latinx History of the United States by Paul Ortiz
  • The Autobiography of Malcom X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley
  • Are Prisons Obsolete by Angela Davis
  • Between the World and Me by Ta Nehisi-Coates
  • Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins
  • Black Marxism: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition by Cedric J. Robinson
  • The Blacker the Berry by Wallace Thurman
  • The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
  • The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America By Richard Rothstein
  • The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America by Khalil Gibran Muhammad
  • Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance by Edgar Villanueva
  • Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America’s Heartland by Jonathan M. Metzl
  • Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Dr. Brittney Cooper
  • Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century by Dorothy Roberts
  • The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
  • Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
  • How To Be An Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
  • How To Be Less Stupid About Race by Crystal M Fleming
  • How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective
  • I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
  • I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness
  • An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
  • Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
  • Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts
  • Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America by James Forman Jr.
  • Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad
  • The Making of Asian America: A History
  • The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain by Langston Hughes
  • The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
  • The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century. by Grace Lee Boggs
  • The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America
  • A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
  • Raising Our Hands by Jenna Arnold
  • Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock
  • Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde
  • So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
  • Stamped From the Beginning by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
  • Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
  • They Were Her Property by Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers
  • This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color by Cherríe Moraga
  • Waiting 'Til the Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power in America by Peniel E. Joseph
  • The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
  • We Keep us Safe: Building Secure, Just and Inclusive Communities by Zach Norris
  • We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations that Matter by Celeste Headlee
  • Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves Edited by Glory Edim
  • West Indian Immigrants: A Black Success Story? by Suzanne Model
  • When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America by Ira Katznelson
  • When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrisse Cullors
  • White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
  • White Tears, Brown Scars by Ruby Hamad
  • White Trash: The 400 Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg
  • Why I'm No Longer Talking About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge (UK-centric)
  • The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom
  • 13th Documentary — Netflix
  • Black Feminism & the Movement for Black Lives: Barbara Smith, Reina Gossett, Charlene Carruthers (50:48)
  • "How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion" | Peggy McIntosh at TEDxTimberlaneSchools (18:26)
  • "How we can make racism a solvable problem- and improve policing" Phillip Atiba Goff. TedTalk 2019 
  • American Son (Kenny Leon) — Netflix
  • Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975 — Available to rent
  • Clemency (Chinonye Chukwu) — Available to rent
  • Dear White People (Justin Simien) — Netflix
  • Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler) — Available to rent
  • I Am Not Your Negro (James Baldwin doc) — Available to rent or on Kanopy / Amazon Prime 
  • If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins) — Hulu
  • Just Mercy (Destin Daniel Cretton) — Available for free
  • King In The Wilderness — HBO
  • See You Yesterday (Stefon Bristol) — Netflix
  • Selma (Ava DuVernay) — Available to rent
  • The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution — Available to rent
  • The Hate U Give (George Tillman Jr.) — Hulu with Cinemax
  • When They See Us (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
  • American Trial: The Eric Garner Story
  • The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson - Netflix 
  • LA 92 - Netflix 
  • Explained: The Racial Wealth Gap 
  • Time: The Kalief Browder Story 
  • Who Killed Malcom X?

​​​​​​How to Report a Bias-Related Act

Diversity and inclusion are crucial to an educational institution's pursuit of excellence in learning, research, and service. We strive to build a community of respect for all community members.

University Resources

Contact the Diversity and Inclusion Team

Diversity Officer: Jonathan M. Walker

Diversity Program Manager: Kylie Stamm

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (202) 994-2258