What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedHow to Be an Antiracist
Ibram X. Kendi · Book · 2020
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 How to Be an Antiracist moved you, these selections will challenge your perception of systemic inequality and institutionalized bias.
Films on the same thread
American History X
Tony Kaye · Film · 1998
Shares a thread with How to Be an Antiracist: Racism.
Like How to Be an Antiracist, this film examines the destructive nature of racist ideologies and the difficult, necessary personal work required to dismantle hate from within.
BlacKkKlansman
Spike Lee · Film · 2018
Shares 2 threads with How to Be an Antiracist: Identity, Systemic Racism.
This film mirrors the investigative spirit of How to Be an Antiracist by exposing the absurdity and systemic reach of white supremacy through a sharp, satirical lens.
Just Mercy
Destin Daniel Cretton · Film · 2019
Shares a thread with How to Be an Antiracist: Systemic racism.
This narrative provides a powerful real-world application of the legal and social justice frameworks discussed in How to Be an Antiracist, highlighting the fight against systemic prejudice.
Malcolm X
Spike Lee · Film · 1992
Shares a thread with How to Be an Antiracist: Social Justice.
Fans of How to Be an Antiracist will appreciate this deep dive into the evolution of a civil rights leader who fundamentally reshaped the American conversation on race.
Series on the same thread
Small Axe
Steve McQueen · Series · 2020
Explores: Racial Identity, Community, Immigration.
These stories reflect the sociological focus of How to Be an Antiracist, illustrating how systemic racism impacts the daily lives and identities of marginalized communities over decades.
When They See Us
Ava DuVernay · Series · 2019
Shares a thread with How to Be an Antiracist: Systemic racism.
This series serves as a harrowing case study in the systemic injustice and racial bias that Ibram X. Kendi identifies as the core obstacle in How to Be an Antiracist.
The U.S. and the Holocaust
Ken Burns · Series · 2022
Shares a thread with How to Be an Antiracist: Racism.
By exploring the historical roots of Nazism, this documentary expands on the themes in How to Be an Antiracist regarding how false hierarchies of human value are constructed.
Them
Little Marvin · Series · 2021
Shares a thread with How to Be an Antiracist: Systemic Racism.
This series translates the abstract concept of systemic racism explored in How to Be an Antiracist into a visceral experience of racial trauma and the American nightmare.
Podcasts on the same thread
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Shares 2 threads with How to Be an Antiracist: systemic racism, social justice.
This podcast aligns with the historical mission of How to Be an Antiracist by reframing the American narrative to center the enduring legacy of slavery and systemic racism.
Hidden Brain
Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam · Podcast · 2026
Shares a thread with How to Be an Antiracist: sociology.
This podcast complements the personal growth aspect of How to Be an Antiracist by helping you understand the cognitive biases that influence our interactions and collective human behavior.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What is the core focus of How to Be an Antiracist?
How to Be an Antiracist focuses on the transformative concept of antiracism. It reorients the conversation about racism by explaining how the system creates false hierarchies of human value, ultimately pointing readers toward liberating new ways of thinking about themselves and each other.
Does How to Be an Antiracist address issues beyond race?
Yes, How to Be an Antiracist explores how the warped logic of racism extends beyond race. The book examines how these systemic hierarchies influence the way we regard people of different ethnicities or skin colors, challenging the fundamental structures that define human value.
Is How to Be an Antiracist considered a transformative work?
How to Be an Antiracist is described as a transformative concept that reenergizes the conversation regarding racism. By analyzing the systems that create false hierarchies, the book provides a framework for reevaluating how individuals perceive one another and the society they live in.
What is the primary goal of reading How to Be an Antiracist?
The primary goal of reading How to Be an Antiracist is to understand how to dismantle the powerful system of racism. It guides readers toward liberating new ways of thinking, helping them move past the false hierarchies of human value that define our current social structures.