“Life’s most persistence and urgent question is: what are you doing for others?”
-Dr. Martin Luther King
On this MLK Day, we are deviating a bit from our theme to honor the works of social justice activists. It is important to look back on the future to fix our present and read the works of those who did the work necessary. On this list, we highlight seven different books to expose ourselves to knowledge of social justice fighters and those challenging the status quo. Hopefully we’ll all learn something in the process. It will take all of us to create less bigoted understanding future.
Here are seven books to fight the resistance!
1) The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness– Michelle Alexander
Dubbed as a secular bible for the new social movement, The New Jim Crow is must read for those who are interested in how the law is affected by race. A detailed account of the American criminal justice system persecutes African American communities resulting in millions of mass incarceration and then relegated to a permanent second-class status—denied the very rights supposedly won in the Civil Rights Movement
2) The Fire Next Time– James Baldwin:
James Baldwin’s National bestseller appeared first in 1963 and galvanized the nation and budding Civil Rights Movement. Written in two letters, recounts personal powerful on Baldwin’s early life in Harlem and instances of racial injustices and their consequences. He calls for both black and white Americans to end the terrible legacy of racism. The Fire Next Time is a classic must-read for every person in our society looking to combat racism as it is still relevant today.
3) Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement- Angela Y. Davis
My personal favorite on the list. Angela Y. Davis, icon in counterculture black movements reflects on everything from black feminism, intersectionality, prison absolutism, and connects between The Ferguson protests and Palestine Protests regarding organized state terror and activism. An educational, shocking, and important read for today’s activist.
4) The End Of Protest: A New Playbook For Revolution-Micah White:
A newer addition to the social justice index, The End of Protest is an account by one of the founders of occupy wall street questioning the future of protesting through his own experiences. A very detailed account and exploration of new ideas regarding protesting and other counter-culture activities.
5) The Autobiography of Malcolm X: Malcolm X as told by Alex Haley
There is no way you can create an activism playbook without learning of the works of Malcolm X. Malcolm tells his own tale of rising from adolescence revelry to one of the most influential figures of the 20th A polarizing figure, Malcolm X has his own valid and useful ideas about life, Islam, activism, and social resistance important for everyone to read.
6) We should all be Feminists- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
With jibs of humor Aidchie argues in a personal essay what being a feminist is and why it is important. She gives tools and resources from personal experiences while shining a light on blatant discrimination. In an effort to create inclusion and awareness, Aidchie touches topics from institutional behaviors, marginalization through race and gender, and experiences from the U.S and in her native Nigeria while offering important explanations on how the gender divide is harmful for women and men alike.
7) The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr- Edited by Calybourne Carson:
I first ‘The Autobiography of Martin Luther King ‘when I was a freshman in high school and it impacted me greatly. Although he never wrote an official biography, this was created by collections on his inner thoughts and speeches. An close look into the man behind the myth: beginning in his adolescence describing his education as a minster, his relationships with key leaders, and his pivotal role in the civil rights movement. There is something in his writing for everyone to take away from: how he changed activism forever, effected change and why.
There you have it seven books to help you fight the resistance on this MLK Day. There are many, many others that you should also explore, but these were the seven that had massive effect on my life and activism that I wanted to share.
On this MLK day, think to the future, read bodies of work of activism and remember “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”
What are your favorite activism books? I’d love suggestions and recommendations in the comments!
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