Given its increase in popularity due to political discourse, one might think that Critical Race Theory is a burgeoning academic field. On the contrary, Critical Race theory has been around for decades and focuses on analysing how sociopolitical movements and the law are shaped by our perceptions of race and ethnicity. Though the concept can be complex, it also provides crucial insight into aspects of American history that have been hidden away or ignored. If you’re interested in Critical Race Theory, here’s a list of 10 books to get you started.
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
It is no secret that American history has a very dark, very seedy underbelly that was woven into all facets of American society, including housing. In Color of the Law, Richard Rothstein exposes the local, state, and federal laws and policies that deliberately promoted discriminatory patterns that have led and continue to lead to racial division in cities.
Critical Race Theory (Third Edition): An Introduction (Critical America, 20)
by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic
Now in its third iteration, the newest edition of Critical Race Theory by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic contains many updates that reflect the impact caused by national and global events over the last twenty years, including undocumented migration, two economic downturns, a rise in terrorism, the advancement of gay rights and the election of the first Black American President. It reinvigorates critical racial analysis and studies through a more contemporary lens.
Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings That Formed the Movement
by Kimberlie Crenshaw and Neil Gotanda
Critical Race Theory is a foundational read on the concept. Rife with contemporary examples and contributions from renowned scholars on the topic, this essay collection defines Critical Race Theory as an approach to comprehending our history and its vehement rejection by the political right in recent years. As far as books on the topic go, Critical Race Theory is a great place to start.
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story
In The 1619 Project reframes American History. In doing so, she centers slavery and its legacy in the country’s history and national narrative. She begins in 1619, the year the first ship carrying enslaved Africans docked on US soil. Through eighteen essays, Hannah-Jones reframes our understanding of slavery’s impact and legacy on present day America. The book also expands upon numerous poems and works of fiction that highlight this legacy.
Women, Race & Class
Angela Davis is a long-time activist and advocate for Civil and Women’s rights. In this book, Davis writes a compelling history of the impact whiteness and classism has had on social and political discourse and how these biases likely disadvantaged both feminist and civil rights movements in America.
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
In this brilliant non-fiction tome, Isabel Wilkerson exposes an unseen hierarchy – or cast system – of human rankings that operates in the US system. According to Wilkerson, this ranking stretches beyond race, class, or other factors, and it influences people’s behaviors, their lives, and the future of the country. Caste weaves the stories of known historical figures to advance her interesting thesis.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Legal academic Michelle Alexander argues that structural racism is far from disappeared. It has simply been restructured. The New Jim Crow bravely exposes how the US criminal justice system continues to exact racial control by targeting Black men through the War on Drugs despite its purported virtue of colorblindness. Alexander’s book is hailed as ground-breaking and a must-read.
From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation
In this book, Taylor details the inception and rise of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. The author reviews the far-reaching consequence of racism on contemporary American society and pervasive systemic inequalities throughout history. Taylor believes this sets the foundation upon which the #BlackLivesMatter might reignite the flame for Black Liberation.
How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America
How the Word is Passed takes a different approach in reckoning with the legacy of slavery across America. Smith takes us on a tour of landmarks and monuments to explore intergenerational stories of slavery and the way they have shaped US history.
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America
Unfortunately, there is a very deep well of racist ideology and thought that can be found in every crevasse of American society. Ibram X. Kendi uses thorough research and the life stories of several American intellectuals, such as Angela Davis and W.E.B Du Bois, to highlight the history of anti-Black racist ideas and their enduring influence over the course of the last four hundred years.
Now you have ten powerful, challenging, and well-researched books on Critical race theory to add to your personal library. You can get these books and many others on BookScouter. Simply search for a book’s ISBN on our website, and you can buy books, rent, or sell any reads at a competitive price.
