Racism, Social Justice, and Black Lives Matter
We have compiled recommended titles to help you educate yourself on the Black Lives Matter movement and systemic racism in America. We wanted to create an opportunity to use our collections to educate, inform and inspire, and encourage conversations about the problematic history of race and social justice in America, and emphasize how critical it is to listen to and learn from Black voices.
Listen, Watch, and Learn
Gain a greater depth of understanding on racial and social justice through eBooks, audiobooks, and movies free with your Library card or eCard.
On cloudLibrary
On hoopla digital
- For Kids: Talking to Kids About Race
- For Teens: Conversations on Race - YA Reads
- For Adults: Conversations on Race - Books for Adults
- Complete List: Conversations on Race
On kanopy
Conversations About Race
Resources and articles from our databases and around the world. Our databases are free to access with your Library card or eCard.
History of Racism in the U.S.
- Gale Middle School Topic Overview: Racism
- Equal Justice Initiative
- Organization of American Historians: The Troubled History of American Education After the Brown Decision
- Constitutional Rights Foundation: A Brief History of Jim Crow
- Racism in America
Where to Learn More About Social Justice Reform
- American Civil Liberties Union
- National Association of Social Workers: Social Justice Briefs
- United Nations: Prison Reforms and Alternatives to Imprisonment
- Charles Koch Institute: Why Prison Reform Matters in America
- Racial Equity Tools
- MUSE in Focus: Confronting Structural Racism
- SAGE Journals: Structural Racism and Police Violence
- TED Talks: Talks to Help You Understand Race in America
The Black Lives Matter Movement
- Black Lives Matter website
- Anti-Defamation League: Black Lives Matter: From Hashtag to Movement
- Princeton University: Black Lives Matter: Policing and Incarceration
- Free Library of Philadelphia: Black Lives Matter
Libraries Respond
Educational Institutions
- FREE Yale University Course: African American History: From Emancipation to the Present
- Blkfreedom.org: 6 Black museums commemorate the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth
- Reading for Racial Justice: Collection of Anti-Racist books from the University of Minnesota Press available to read online FOR FREE through August 31, 2020
- The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture: Talking About Race Web Portal