From books that serve as an awakening for white people to explorations of the Black experience, here are five books on racism chosen by comedian Njambi McGrath.
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
This book became a bestseller in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020; an awakening for white people in the reality of what it means to be Black in a world dominated by white supremacists.
Slay in Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené
An exploration of life for young Black women in the UK. They examine how commerce and industry is formulated to cater for a white demographic, including things that people take for granted such as makeup.
This is Why I Resist: Don’t Define My Black Identity by Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu
Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu digs down into the deep roots of racism and anti-Blackness in the UK and US. She delves into subjects rarely explored, such as racial gatekeepers, white ingratitude and performative allyship.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
This 2017 young adult novel is Angie Thomas’s debut, expanded from a short story she wrote in reaction to the police shooting of Oscar Grant.
Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging by Afua Hirsch
The Sunday Times bestseller that reveals the uncomfortable truth about race and identity in Britain today.
