Updated: 3:34 PM EST Feb 5, 2021
Lizz Schumer
Senior editor
You know how the saying goes: Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. But when we still haven't emerged from the ongoing effects of our past, taking the time to learn about where those forces originated and how we got where we are today becomes even more important.
Reading books written by Black authors can help add important context to the world we're living in, as well as shed light on systemic racism and discrimination for those who are privileged enough to not experience their impact firsthand. Literature is a powerful force. It can help further our own antiracist education, lift up voices that have been historically left out of the conversation and take the emotional burden off Black friends and colleagues to educate others too. Reading doesn't absolve us of taking meaningful action against injustice, but it's a start.