St. Thomas More Anti-Racism Task Force discussion

1. Did you feel the book was approachable?
Yes, however it did use many terms that someone new to this material might not be familiar with. Kendi does define these terms. The book is written in a way that brings the reader up to speed on these concepts and assumes the reader is a beginner which makes it approachable for all levels of knowledge.

2. Who do you feel is the best audience for this book based on the Becoming Anti-Racist spectrum? Learning Zone


3. What did you learn that you didn't know before? Intersectional racism was a new concept to me. It also touched on the early days of the Black Panther movement.

Pat's review:
1. yes, approachable, though I agree with Jess; many new terms and ideas
2. Learning zone
3. I appreciated learning how POC are racist of their own race, and his description of the hierarchy's of groups. I also enjoyed his personal stories of growth.

On behalf of Harriet Goodpaster:
This is my #1 pick, published in 2019. How To Be an AntiRacist is at once an intensely personal narrative and disciplined thought. Those two threads are woven together, to produce a work that rewards the effort required to read, as it is a deep dive into what racism is and what it does to people. He also cautions that to be an AntiRacist is like fighting an addiction, requiring persistent self-criticism and self-awareness. (p. 23) I found fascinating his insight into how AntiRacism is like fighting a cancer, an insight born of his own experience. Read this book!

On behalf of Mariah Snyder:

Are you a racist? Are you “not a racist”? Are you an “Antiracist”? Kendi provides definitions for these terms used frequently in our lives today. He contends that persons should not be content to just not be racist” but should strive to take a step beyond and become an Antiracist. The latter is someone who works to end racism. Kendi walks us through his path to what he coined “Antiracist” through personal stories that detail struggles with numerous forms of bigotry that mark his growth to becoming an Antiracist. These include power, biology, color, class, gender and sexuality. Have tissues ready before beginning to read the last chapter of a New York Times bestseller.

This is a Must Read for everyone.

How to Be Anti-racist is a book about how every person is a racist if he has any kind of power. However, anyone can direct their efforts towards anti-racism. Ibrahm Candy prescribes basic concepts from the sphere of racism, characterizes typical types of racists, and also considers racism in all possible areas of human interaction. He explains in detail how to fight racism, because only in this way inequality will disappear in the world and people can work together to solve any problem.