BIPOC MORE READING

ADDITIONAL READING:

How to be an Antiracist by Ibrahim Kendi & Antiracist Baby (for small children)  The book discusses concepts of racism and Kendi's proposals for anti-racist individual actions and systemic changes

A Kids Book About Racism by Jelani Memory:
link here for the book being read on YouTube)

The Skin We’re In by Desmond Cole: The Skin We're In describes the struggle against racism in Canada during the year 2017, chronicling Cole's role as an anti-racist activist and the impact of systemic racism in Canadian society.

The History of Immigration and Racism in Canada: Essential Readings by Barrington Walker: This outstanding collection examines the complex and disturbing history of immigration and racism in Canada. Major themes include Native/non-Native contact, migration and settlement in the nineteenth century, immigrant workers and radicalism, human rights, internment during WWII, and racism of the present day. 

Decolonizing Education by Marie Battiste *Should be mandatory for educators
Drawing on treaties, international law, the work of other Indigenous scholars, and especially personal experiences, Marie Battiste documents the nature of Eurocentric models of education, and their devastating impacts on Indigenous knowledge

Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King: This is a book by American-Canadian author Thomas King, first published in 2012 by Doubleday Canada. It presents a history of indigenous peoples in North America.

Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga:  The groundbreaking and multiple award-winning national bestseller work about systemic racism, education, the failure of the policing and justice systems, and Indigenous rights by Tanya Talaga. Over the span of eleven years, seven Indigenous high school students died in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality by Bob Joseph:  Since its creation in 1876, the Indian Act has dictated and constrained the lives and opportunities of Indigenous Peoples, and is at the root of many enduring stereotypes. Joseph examines how Indigenous Peoples can return to self-government, self-determination, and self-reliance--and why doing so would result in a better country for every Canadian.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson: You’ve likely heard the story of someone who served decades in prison for a crime they didn’t commit. How does that happen and how do we ensure people don’t disappear behind the bars and into bureaucratic systems that value process more than justice?

Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward: America often equates Black to mean urban America when more of us live in “middle America” and the deep South than anywhere else. Ward is a literary artist who spins the stories of Black men in Mississippi with so much love and a deep desire to protect those she loves.

Free Cyntoia by Cyntoia Brown-Long: Everyone from Rihanna to Kim Kardashian was tweeting about Cyntoia Brown-Long, the young woman incarcerated for defending herself against her abuser and a sexual predator. Cyntoia’s story is one that many women share—and this book sheds light on how systems set up to protect us, fail us time and time again.

Born A Crime by Trevor Noah: Noah’s book reads like an episode of his late night show which is to say it’s informative, compelling, and well researched. This is a must read for those looking to understand race and class.

Unafraid of the Dark by Rosemary L Bray: Racism feels like this big scary monster which can make some of us feel like we don’t know where to begin in dismantling it and others feel it’s not relevant to them at all. Bray sets the record straight with these vignettes and anecdotes about what racism looks like in practice but also how police interventions can work to alleviate the pressures.

How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective by Keeanga Yamahtta-Taylor: “Listen to Black women!” Want to learn what Black women from movements past have to say about justice and freedom? Look no further than this foundational manifesto.

Children of Blood and Bones by Tomi Adeyemi: Science fiction is a powerful tool for exploring problems from the distance we normally aren’t afforded with day-to-day life. This first part of the electric new trilogy explores issues of fear, revenge, and what it takes to build a new future.

When They Call You A Terrorist by Patrisse Khan Cullors: Cullors co-founded Black Lives Matter over five years ago alongside two other Black women organizers. Years later, she reflected on her own journey to that moment and what it means to be labeled a terrorist by the government that has sought to erase you and those you love.

Let’s Get Free: A Hip-Hop Theory of Justice by Paul Butler: This Harvard Law grad turned prosecutor went from high-powered attorney to wrongfully accused Black man in one day. What that experience taught him is cemented through this book and will tell you all you need to know about this rigged system.

Pushout by Monique Morris: Black girls and women are often left out of the conversation when it comes to criminal justice reform, but Morris reiterates exactly how Black girls are over-sexualized, more likely to be described as aggressive, and more frequently suspended or expelled, leading to this school-to-prison pipeline we hear so much 

Sources/Special Thanks: ACTRA Toronto, SAG AFTRA, LB Acting Studio BIPOC Committee Members: Jajube Mandiela, Nadia George, Michelle Arvizu & Bunz Community