My favorite books for understanding critical race theory

Why am I passionate about this?

Every author writing about race and tax in the United States uses my article with William Whitford, “A Black Critique of the Internal Revenue Code.” Using census data, Bill and I showed that blacks and whites who earn the same income, live in the same geographic areas, have the same education and marital status, pay different amounts of federal income tax because of the race and wealth disparities outlined in Race and Wealth Disparities: A Multidisciplinary Discourse edited by Beverly Moran. 


I wrote...

Race and Wealth Disparities: A Multidisciplinary Discourse

By Beverly Moran (editor),

Book cover of Race and Wealth Disparities: A Multidisciplinary Discourse

What is my book about?

Race and Wealth Disparities is a multidisciplinary reader. The authors come from ten different disciplines: anthropology, economics, education policy, history, literature, law, management, political science, social psychology, and sociology. The essays convey substantive information about race and wealth disparities while also giving the reader a greater and more textured understanding of each discipline and of multidisciplinary work. 

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism

Beverly Moran Why did I love this book?

Faces at the Bottom of the Well is the book that created Critical Race Theory. It lays out the central problem of Critical Race Theory: how does racism consistently defeat law? For example, in 1954 Brown v. the Board of Education held that segregated schools are unlawful. Yet, sixty-nine years later, US schools, housing, and employment all remain segregated. This is the book that inspired every other critical race theory scholar.

By Derrick Bell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Faces at the Bottom of the Well as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The noted civil rights activist uses allegory and historical example to present a radical vision of the persistence of racism in America. These essays shed light on some of the most perplexing and vexing issues of our day: affirmative action, the disparity between civil rights law and reality, the racist outbursts of some black leaders, the temptation toward violent retaliation, and much more.


Book cover of Black Wealth / White Wealth: A New Perspective on Racial Inequality

Beverly Moran Why did I love this book?

This is the book that showed us that income inequality is just the tip of the iceberg of race inequality in the United States. True, blacks earn less than whites, but they also own less than whites. Much less. The difference is staggering and the cause of many other ills, especially the difficulty that many black families have in the face of any economic disaster.

By Melvin Oliver, Thomas M. Shapiro,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Black Wealth / White Wealth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The award-winning Black Wealth / White Wealth offers a powerful portrait of racial inequality based on an analysis of private wealth. Melvin Oliver and Thomas Shapiro's groundbreaking research analyzes wealth - total assets and debts rather than income alone - to uncover deep and persistent racial inequality in America, and they show how public policies have failed to redress the problem.

First published in 1995, Black Wealth / White Wealth is considered a classic exploration of race and inequality. It provided, for the first time, systematic empirical evidence that explained the racial inequality gap between blacks and whites. The Tenth…


Book cover of Critical Race Theory: An Introduction

Beverly Moran Why did I love this book?

Critical Race Theory: An Introduction gives an overview of the authors who work in critical race theory and the problems they address. It is a classic put together by two of the most important authors in the field. A terrific way to ground yourself in the literature.

By Richard Delgado, Jean Stefancic,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Critical Race Theory as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Updated to include the Black Lives Matter movement, the presidency of Barack Obama, the rise of hate speech on the Internet, and more

Since the publication of the first edition of Critical Race Theory in 2001, the United States has lived through two economic downturns, an outbreak of terrorism, and the onset of an epidemic of hate directed against immigrants, especially undocumented Latinos and Middle Eastern people. On a more hopeful note, the country elected and re-elected its first black president and has witnessed the impressive advance of gay rights.
As a field, critical race theory has taken note of…


Book cover of Race and Races: Cases and Resources for a Diverse America

Beverly Moran Why did I love this book?

I have used this textbook for over ten years. It groups Supreme Court decisions and other writings by Hispanics, Native Americans, Blacks, and Asians in a way that allows students to understand how doctrine shifts over almost three hundred years of jurisprudence. The text gently gets students to expand their knowledge base and confront what they learned (or did not learn) in other courses. I enjoy this textbook every time that I use it.

By Juan F. Perea, Richard Delgado, Angela Harris , Jean Stefancic , Stephanie M. Wildman

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Race and Races as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This casebook presents interdisciplinary, critical perspectives on race and racism and covers the roles of law and history in shaping the meanings of race in the United States. Updates the second edition with new material on: President Obama's election and "post-racialism"; important studies of implicit bias; the Voting Rights Act and allegedly race-neutral restrictions on voting; recurring violence against and harassment of Latino immigrants; book-banning in Arizona; and demographic changes and their implications. Includes new cases such as Shelby County v. Holder and Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, current statistics, and updated references. Features rich historical treatment of…


Book cover of A People's History of the United States

Beverly Moran Why did I love this book?

A People’s History of the United States was published in 1980 well before “critical race theory” and “intersectionality” entered our language. Yet in this work Zinn models the core principles of critical race theory: law treats different people differently based on their social status far more than their personal characteristics and hiding these effects behind seemingly neutral laws and histories is not an accident but an exercise in power. Read Zinn to understand what the American project looked like to Native Americans, slaves, women, and the working classes. Then take those insights to your readings on critical race theory.

By Howard Zinn,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked A People's History of the United States as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE CLASSIC NATIONAL BESTSELLER

"A wonderful, splendid book—a book that should be read by every American, student or otherwise, who wants to understand his country, its true history, and its hope for the future." –Howard Fast

Historian Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States chronicles American history from the bottom up, throwing out the official narrative taught in schools—with its emphasis on great men in high places—to focus on the street, the home, and the workplace.

Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, itis the only volume to tell America's story from the…


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The Birthright of Sons: Stories

By Jefferey Spivey,

Book cover of The Birthright of Sons: Stories

Jefferey Spivey Author Of The Birthright of Sons: Stories

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an avid reader of queer literary fiction not only because I write it but because I’m looking to see my life experience captured on the page. As a gay man, a father of two young boys, and one-half of an interracial married couple, I know the complexity of modern queer living firsthand. In recent years, I’ve been astounded by the breadth of great LGBTQ+ books that examine queerness fully and empathetically. I seek out these books, I read them feverishly, and I become a champion for the best ones. In an era of intense book banning, it’s so important to me to elevate these books and their authors.

Jefferey's book list on capturing the complexity of the queer experience

What is my book about?

The Birthright of Sons is a collection of stories centered around the experiences of marginalized people, namely Black and LGBTQ+ men. Although the stories borrow elements from various genres (horror, suspense, romance, magical realism, etc.), they are linked by an exploration of identity and the ways personhood is shaped through interactions with the people, places, and belief systems around us.

In each of these stories, the protagonists grapple with their understanding of who they are, who and how they love, and what is ultimately most important to them. In almost every case, however, the quest to know or protect oneself is challenged by an external force, resulting in violence, crisis, or confusion, among other outcomes.

The Birthright of Sons: Stories

By Jefferey Spivey,

What is this book about?

The Birthright of Sons is a collection of stories centered around the experiences of marginalized people, namely Black and LGBTQ+ men. Though the stories borrow elements from various genres (horror, suspense, romance, magical realism, etc.), they're linked by an exploration of identity and the ways personhood is shaped through interactions with the people, places, and belief systems around us.

Underpinning the project is a core belief - self-definition is fluid, but conflict arises because society often fails to keep pace with personal evolution. In each of these stories, the protagonists grapple with their understanding of who they are, who and…


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