Annie Hoffman here, Student Journalist for the Libraries.

As we mourn George Floyd’s death and try to honor his life through opposing violent policing and systemic racism, it is essential that white people like me make meaningful commitments to antiracist work.

If you are white and unsure of where to begin, these books are all a good place to start. Reading work by Black writers and untangling your own racism is an important first step.

• How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
• So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
• Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
• When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrice Khan-Cullors

Here is a more extensive antiracist reading list, and here is a list of novels and short stories by Black authors.

White people, please buy these books. Buy them from one of these Black owned bookstores if you can. Read them. Please use the purchase request form at your local library to request them. Please put them in the hands of your white friends. Then figure out what else you can do to amplify Black voices and dismantle white supremacy where you live.