Resources
General
Books
- How to Be an Antiracist , Ibram X. Kendi
- Girl, Woman, Other, Bernardine Evaristo
- Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson
- The Fire Next Time, James Baldwin
- The Water Dancer: A Novel,Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
TED Talks
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- Heather McGhee shares her insights into how racism fuels bad policymaking, drains our economic potential and offers a crucial rethinking of what we can do to create a more prosperous nation for all.
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- Filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas shares his story about immigration and what it means to be a US citizen—whether it’s by birth, law, or otherwise. In this powerful talk, Vargas calls for a shift in how we think about citizenship and encourages us all to reconsider our personal histories by answering three questions: Where did you come from? How did you get here? Who paid?
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- Ibram X. Kendi discusses how one can actively use this awareness to uproot injustice and inequality in the world—and replace it with love.
Race and Ethnicity
Books
- Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum
- “Multiplication Is for White People”: Raising Expectations for Other People’s Children, Lisa Delpit
- Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, Ibram X. Kendi (Free audiobook version via Spotify)
- White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, Robin DiAngelo
- Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates
TED Talks
- The path to ending systemic racism in the US
- Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff, Rashad Robinson. Dr. Bernice King and Anthony D Romero on dismantling systemic racism in America
- A black man undercover in the alt-right
- After going viral, Theo E.J. Wilson shares his experience navigating social media and ultimately going undercover in alt-right digital communities.
Gender and Sexuality
TED Talks
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- Tiq and Kim Katrin Milan share about their marriage—as a transgender man and cis woman—a model of possibility for people of every kind. With infectious joy, Tiq and Kim question our misconceptions about who they might be and offer a vision of an inclusive, challenging love that grows day by day.
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- Samy Nour Younes shares the remarkable, centuries-old history of the trans community, filled with courageous stories, inspiring triumphs—and a fight for civil rights that’s been raging for a long time. “Imagine how the conversation would shift if we acknowledge just how long trans people have been demanding equality,” he says.
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- Biologist Karissa Sanbonmatsu shares new discoveries from epigenetics, the emerging study of how DNA activity can permanently change based on social factors like trauma or diet. Learn how life experiences shape the way genes are expressed—and what that means for our understanding of gender.
Socioeconomic Status
TED Talks
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- Neuroscientist and pediatrician Kimberly Noble is leading the Baby’s First Years study: the first-ever randomized study of how family income changes children’s cognitive, emotional and brain development. She and a team of economists and policy experts are working together to find out: Can we help kids in poverty simply by giving families more money? “The brain is not destiny,” Noble says. “And if a child’s brain can be changed, then anything is possible.”
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- Another economic reality is possible — one that values community, sustainability, and resiliency instead of profit by any means necessary. Niki Okuk shares her case for cooperative economics and a vision for how working-class people can organize and own the businesses they work for, making decisions for themselves and enjoying the fruits of their labor.
Immigration
TED Talks
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- In 2010, technologist Tan Le took the TEDGlobal stage to demo a powerful new interface. But now, at TEDxWomen, she tells a very personal story: the story of her family—mother, grandmother and sister—fleeing Vietnam and building a new life.
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- In this playfully delivered talk with a poignant message, comedian and podcaster Maeve Higgins delves into the stories about immigration she heard while traveling around the US (as an immigrant herself). “People should not be considered valuable just because they do something of value to us,” Higgins says.