20 Books About Black Lives Matter and Civil Rights to Put on Your Essential Reading List

Using the life stories of five figures in American history: Puritan minister Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, W.E.B. Du Bois, and the legendary Angela Davis, Ibram X. Kendi traces how racist ideas were created and spread throughout society. Stamped From the Beginning argues that racism as we know it is less about ignorance or hatred, and more about finding ways to justify the discriminatory systems that are deeply engrained in America, so those who benefit can stay on top.