What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedHow to Be an Antiracist
Ibram X. Kendi · Book · 2019
If you loved How to Be an Antiracist, start with 1619 (The New York Times, 2019) — a podcast on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to How to Be an Antiracist across media.
If you loved How to Be an Antiracist, you will appreciate these works that critically examine the systemic structures defining our racial landscape.
Films on the same thread
American History X
Tony Kaye · Film · 1998
Explores: Redemption, Racism, Hate Groups.
Like the self-reflective journey in How to Be an Antiracist, this film forces a confrontation with the roots of hate and the difficult process of unlearning deep-seated racial prejudices.
Just Mercy
Destin Daniel Cretton · Film · 2019
Explores: Racial injustice, Wrongful conviction, Capital punishment.
This story mirrors the institutional analysis found in How to Be an Antiracist by exposing how systemic inequality and legal biases perpetuate harm against marginalized individuals within the justice system.
BlacKkKlansman
Spike Lee · Film · 2018
Explores: Racial Injustice, Undercover Operation, Identity.
This film provides a satirical yet incisive look at the infiltration of hate groups, echoing the commitment to identifying and dismantling racism advocated throughout How to Be an Antiracist.
Malcolm X
Spike Lee · Film · 1992
Explores: Racial Identity, Black Nationalism, Social Justice.
The evolution of the protagonist’s worldview serves as a powerful historical companion to the personal and political transformation described in the pages of How to Be an Antiracist.
Series on the same thread
When They See Us
Ava DuVernay · Series · 2019
Explores: Racial injustice, Wrongful conviction, Systemic racism.
This series highlights the devastating consequences of institutional failure, grounding the abstract concepts of systemic racism discussed in How to Be an Antiracist in a haunting, real-world tragedy.
Small Axe
Steve McQueen · Series · 2020
Explores: Racial Identity, Community, Immigration.
These stories capture the intersectional experience of community members facing police brutality, reflecting the focus on institutional reform and racial equity found in How to Be an Antiracist.
Reconstruction: America After the Civil War
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. · Series · 2019
Shares a thread with How to Be an Antiracist: Systemic Inequality.
By examining the post-Civil War era, this series provides the essential historical context required to understand the systemic inequality that How to Be an Antiracist seeks to challenge.
The Boys
Eric Kripke · Series · 2019
Explores: Anti-Hero, Corporate Corruption, Abuse of Power.
While fiction, this show’s focus on exposing the abuse of power by corrupt institutions provides a thematic parallel to the systemic critiques presented in How to Be an Antiracist.
Podcasts on the same thread
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Explores: systemic racism, national identity, legacy of slavery.
This deep dive into the origins of American slavery provides the historical foundation for the sociopolitical analysis that Ibram X. Kendi builds upon in How to Be an Antiracist.
Code Switch
NPR · Podcast
Shares a thread with How to Be an Antiracist: systemic inequality.
These fearless conversations about race expand on the themes of intersectionality and systemic inequality, serving as an ongoing, practical dialogue for readers of How to Be an Antiracist.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is How to Be an Antiracist a New York Times bestseller?
Yes, How to Be an Antiracist is a number one New York Times bestseller. It was also recognized as one of the best books of the year by The New York Times.
Who is the author of How to Be an Antiracist?
The author of How to Be an Antiracist is Ibram X. Kendi. He is also the National Book Award–winning author of the book titled Stamped from the Beginning.
What is the main focus of How to Be an Antiracist?
How to Be an Antiracist provides a groundbreaking approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality. The book examines these systemic issues within our society and explores how they manifest within ourselves.
How has the critical reception been for How to Be an Antiracist?
How to Be an Antiracist has received significant critical praise. Time magazine described the book as groundbreaking, while The New York Times Editors’ Choice called it the most courageous book to date on the problem of race in the Western mind.