Resources on Racism

History of Racism

Video: How America Invented Race

The white “race” was invented by rich Virginians in 1676 in the aftermath of a populous rebellion of impoverished, indentured, and enslaved Africans and Europeans now known as Bacon’s Rebellion.

Article: America’s Enduring Caste System

By Isabel Wilkerson, author of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (Random House, 2020)

Podcast: 1619 Series

“1619” is an audio series, that examines the long shadow of American slavery. It connects past and present through the oldest form of storytelling

From The New York Times hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones

Educational: Historical Foundations Of Race

A comprehensive historical timeline and resources from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC) signature program, “Talking about Race”.

Book: Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds (2019)

“The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. This remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and inspires hope for an antiracist future. It takes you on a race journey from then to now, shows you why we feel how we feel, and why the poison of racism lingers. It also proves that while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited.”