As a Black, British woman I have always known what racism looks like, and how to be 'not racist' but anti-racism hadn't really entered my thinking.
This is very much a personal, intellectual analysis of what we ALL need to do to make significant change in our society. This is not a lecture for White people; Black people need to read it too, so that we remember to challenge societal norms and redefine them, so that we do not exempt ourselves simply because we are Black.
The book highlights the fact that we are, at present, only treating the symptoms of a society built on racism and, to be truly anti-racist, our society needs an anti-racist foundation.
A full 5 stars from me and a strong recommendation, again, that Black people read this too.

This book is 110% necessary reading for anyone who's striving to be an Antiracist (which should be all of us). It sets out what antiracism means and how it differs from the racism vs non-racism binary, all with some autobiographical element which gives it some entertainment value.

I particularly appreciated the chapters towards the end about gender and sexuality as part of the Antiracist movement. But, the first few chapters are also absolutely key for an understanding of antiracism.

All that being said, there were some bits which felt slightly overwritten/theoretical/maybe a bit academic. But this book has taught me so much and is such an important piece of writing.

This was a fantastic book. Kendi spends a lot of this book reflecting on his own actions which makes the book so human and relatable, rather than generic non-fiction that states the facts. It also focuses on a topic that is highly important and, in all honesty, not talked about enough: racism, both individual and of policies. The definitions between racist and antiracist ideals at the start of each chapter was cleverly done, and really focused the chapters on what we as people should be doing to address these issues, rather than just passively taking them in.

Overall, this is an incredibly important read and very well-written. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to educate themselves on the topic of race, especially if you've had the privilege of not having to think about it before now.

Everyone should read this book!!

“The opposite of racist isn't 'not racist.' It is 'anti-racist.' What's the difference? One endorses either the idea of a racial hierarchy as a racist, or racial equality as an anti-racist. One either believes problems are rooted in groups of people, as a racist, or locates the roots of problems in power and policies, as an anti-racist. One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an anti-racist. There is no in-between safe space of 'not racist.”


The author uses the story of his own life to debate for the necessity of being ANTI racist..
He is very open about it. The story follows chronologically author's life and describes racismn in United States. It is a book I read in one sitting. I recommend it to everyone.

Fantastic writing. Powerful and thought provoking.

I learned a lot. Thank you NetGalley for the copy of this book!!!

A compelling read, with an amalgamation of personal experience and suggestions of how we, as a whole community, can really get behind becoming anti-racists. It gives a good background into the #BlackLivesMatter movement, and why current events may have escalated in the way they have.
Educate to change.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for a copy of this book.

Like many people, the recent events in America made me want to educate myself more and really look at my own attitudes towards racism. This book was the perfect choice - I loved the way Kendi used his own personal experiences to get points across and how even his own views on racism have developed and changed. It is an open and honest account and I have really learned a lot from reading it. I can't really review this in the same way as other books because I can't say that it is a book that you will 'enjoy' reading, but I think this is a book that everyone would benefit from it in some way.

I would recommend this book unreservedly. Combining personal memoir and history, this considered book provides a nuanced history of racism and types of racism. It was balanced and highly informative. I would suggest it is essential reading for these troubled times. I did not, however, think the implications of the title were addressed in this book, I would have liked more ideas on how I, in my own life, can address systemic racism.

This book covered pretty much everything youd want to know if you're interested in the Black Lives Matter movement and want to educate yourself or others, and was written in an engaging manner that has me itching to do my own research on how to be a better ally.

I'm glad that this book is back on NetGalley, given the current events of the world. I'm not glad that it's still so relevant and Necessary, but that it exists and that Kendi as a writer is so talented is worth praising.

‘How To Be An Antiracist’ is part autobiography, part history, and part social commentary. Kendi uses his experience of growing up as an African American to explore racism – how his ideas about what racism is evolved throughout his life, and similarly, how he discovered the concepts of not-racist and anti-racist and what those mean. Each chapter is prefaced with a type of racism – behavioural racism, space racism, colourism – and starts with a time in Kendi’s life where he encountered it, segueing into the history, modern social perspectives, and what his experiences have taught him. The mix of personal, historical, and modern factual works well, providing a touchstone and backing every point up with strong evidence.

Many of the points Kendi makes I had heard before, although not being Black or American I found his personal insight into them fascinating. Kendi is exceptionally honest about problematic beliefs he himself has held in the past – as we all will have held – and how he still grapples with them today. He articulates the impact of racism very well, as well as the impacts of various movements which have sought to end it. I particularly enjoyed his take on the work of the Rev. Dr Martin Luther King, a man who I was taught about at school but only in very basic terms. Kendi’s viewpoint is nuanced and well worth listening to.

One of the strongest parts of the book covers the concept of integration – a controversial issue, especially here in the UK where we like to think people are more integrated than they perhaps are in the US. His points are logical but might not occur to those who are not themselves Black or another ethnic minority. I thought he did an excellent job of framing it in a non-judgemental but understandable way. I came away from that section feeling educated and reframing several ideas that I had previously held. As Kendi says, anti-racism is a constant learning process, and we have to open to changing our beliefs as we learn more about them.

The later chapters of the book were more personal – Kendi and his family were going through significant personal difficulties with enormous impact on their lives. I have enormous respect for Kendi for managing to write such an excellent book in such a trying time. That being said, I felt those later chapters weren’t quite as strong or impactful as some of the earlier points. His metaphors for racism were interesting, and in many ways accurate, but for me they didn’t add anything. The strength of the book was the interweaving of the story of growing up Black in America with the statistics around racism and its impact.

Overall, this is an excellent book that I’d highly recommend to everyone. Go in with an open mind and be prepared to learn. The points that Kendi makes are not radical, but they may be new to you. Listen to what he has to say, read his sources – he cites plenty, and includes a further reading list for those interested in the topic – and you might find yourself reframing what racism, and anti-racism, really is.

This book comes at just the right time for me when I am trying to educate myself. Very timely and very educational. Should be required reading for everyone.

How To Be an Antiracist is a book that will have a profound and lasting impact on anyone who reads it. Thought provoking, honest and unflinching it's part memoir from the author that authors further insight to back up the words. Absolutely essential reading for everyone, as it will change the way you think.

Thank you to netgalley for this advance review copy. (For reference I read this during Covid 19 lockdown)

The formatting of this book - definition, historical context and autobiographical context made it compelling and easy to digest. I appreciated the Intersectionality of the book.

With protests over George Floyd taking place as I type, this book could hardly be more timely. Kendi's intervention into current race debates is to expose any assumed position of neutrality as subterfuge: there is and can be no position of 'non-racist', 'colour-blind', 'post-racial', he argues: the only viable opposition to racism is to be actively and consciously antiracist.

What makes this such a strong book is that it is also a confession: Kendi's antiracist stance is hard-won and actively striven for. Part memoir, he discusses his own upbringing and indifferent schooldays when he internalised anti-black racism, when he grew up imbibing sexist and homophobic ideologies, and recounts with honesty his struggles at university to free himself from his own prejudices. It's this humility combined with a scholar's critical intelligence (his PhD was in African-American studies) that give this book its heft.

While it is based on primarily the particularities of America's history of race based on chattel slavery (and Kendi is himself the descendant of slaves), this is a book which speaks to other geographies and also other -isms - many of the arguments could be applied to sexism, for example, to offer another strand to activism. Kendi is also attentive to intersectionality which, he generously admits, came to him relatively late as a doctoral student.

There may be some simplicities of analysis at times, but Kendi is a charismatic writer: an inspiring and hopeful book based on honesty and intelligence.