How to Be an Antiracist

Outline

How to Be an Antiracist (2019) combines memoir, history, and social analysis to explain how racism operates in policies, institutions, and personal beliefs. Ibram Kendi argues that it is not enough to be “not racist” and that people should actively support policies that create racial equality. Drawing on his own experiences, he encourages readers to examine their assumptions and work toward a fairer society.

• Racism operates in policies, institutions, and personal beliefs, not only in the attitudes of individual people.
• Saying you are "not racist" is not enough; Kendi argues people should actively work to create racial equality.
• Supporting policies that produce racial equality is a central part of what the book means by being antiracist.
• The book blends memoir, history, and social analysis to show how these ideas play out in real life.
• Readers are encouraged to examine their own assumptions and then act toward a fairer society.

Ibram Kendi is an American historian, author, and professor who studies the history of racist ideas. His book Stamped from the Beginning won the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2016. He has also written several books for children and young readers.