How to Be an Antiracist

Author: Ibram X. Kendi

Genre: Nonfiction, Social Justice

Publication Date: 2019

Introduction

In How to Be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi traces the evolution in his thinking about the causes and effects of racism in America. As a teenager, he believed the stereotypes about African Americans, which defined them as inferior to white Americans. Kendi comes to understand that it isn’t the stereotypes that result in the oppressive racial inequities Black people face in their lives. Over time, Kendi comes to believe that it’s racist policies that cause these inequities; the stereotypes exist to justify the racist policies. Kendi asserts that for racism to be overthrown, Americans must embrace antiracism. An antiracist fights for and supports policies that create equity for all people in every sphere of life. Kendi insists that anyone claiming to be “not racist” is a racist if they don’t support antiracist policies. He examines the racist policies that underpin inequities in many aspects of life and describes how he learned to be an antiracist who actively opposes racist policies.