The most recommended books about race

Who picked these books? Meet our 26 experts.

26 authors created a book list connected to race, and here are their favorite race books.
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What type of race book?

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Book cover of White Awake: An Honest Look at What It Means to Be White

Ed Uszynski Author Of Untangling Critical Race Theory: What Christians Need to Know and Why It Matters

From my list on Christians racial sensitivity to sensibility.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in a racially diverse setting on the west side of Cleveland, OH, and have been thinking, speaking, and writing at the intersection of race and the church as a side ministry for the last three decades. After starting a PhD in American Culture Studies in 2008, I focused attention on the concepts of Critical Race Theory, thinking especially about their relationship to the Christian faith. I try to resource white Christians who recognize a deficit in their own thinking about race but aren’t sure what to do about it or who to trust with their story, and these books offer a great place to start.

Ed's book list on Christians racial sensitivity to sensibility

Ed Uszynski Why did Ed love this book?

I find it difficult to locate white pastors in the Evangelical tradition who are both aware of and candid about their own racial history. It’s even more difficult to get them to admit they’ve never thought about “White” as a race and why that might be significant in a world that prioritizes skin color.

He helped me understand both the personal and social realities of living at the intersection of race, culture, and identity and how they merge into one another in my life. I appreciated how Hill puts texture on the idea of racial privilege and the advantages inherent in not having to think about race at all. I found his seven stages to expect on the path to cross-cultural “awakening” disrupting, putting on a very different spin on what it means to be “woke” in our cultural moment. 

By Daniel Hill,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Daniel Hill will never forget the day he heard these words:"Daniel, you may be white, but don't let that lull you into thinking you have no culture. White culture is very real. In fact, when white culture comes in contact with other cultures, it almost always wins. So it would be a really good idea for you to learn about your culture."Confused and unsettled by this encounter, Hill began a journey of understanding his own white identity. Today he is an active participant in addressing and confronting racial and systemic injustices. And in this compelling and timely book, he shows…


Book cover of White Awake: An Honest Look at What It Means to Be White

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