Resmaa Menakem is an insightful therapist and writer focused on racial trauma and healing. His influential book, My Grandmother's Hands, explores how racial issues affect our bodies and minds, offering practical ways toward healing and understanding.
If you enjoy reading books by Resmaa Menakem then you might also like the following authors:
Bessel van der Kolk writes openly and insightfully about trauma, stress, and how these affect the human body and mind. He mixes solid scientific research with relatable stories from his experience as a therapist.
His book, The Body Keeps the Score, explores how traumatic experiences impact our physical health and emotional life long after the events themselves have passed.
Robin DiAngelo encourages readers to examine race and racism in a straightforward, clear, and reflective way. She gently guides readers toward greater self-awareness about race and privilege, offering practical examples and honest conversations.
Her well-known book, White Fragility, tackles how defensive responses from white people prevent productive conversations about race.
Ibram X. Kendi writes about racism and antiracism in a direct, personal style that challenges readers to reflect deeply. His work highlights history, policy, and personal narratives to unpack complex ideas in a clear way.
In his influential book, How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi explores his own journey to becoming antiracist and invites readers to do the same.
Ta-Nehisi Coates explores race, history, and identity through passionate narrative and sharp, powerful prose. His writing jumps between personal experiences and larger social contexts, always careful and deeply reflecting.
In Between the World and Me, Coates writes a heartfelt letter to his son, exploring the realities of being African American in the US today.
Gabor Maté focuses on addiction, trauma, mental health, and emotional wellbeing with compassion and warmth. He blends scientific evidence with profound empathy, always looking behind behavior to broader personal and social causes.
In In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Maté explores addiction and its connection to trauma, offering readers new perspectives on healing and recovery.
Peter A. Levine is an insightful author who specializes in understanding trauma and healing through the relationship between body and mind. His gentle and thoughtful approach helps readers make sense of complex feelings, bringing practical wisdom to emotional challenges.
In Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma, Levine teaches readers how trauma is stored in the body and offers clear ways to reconnect physically and emotionally for healing.
Joy DeGruy Leary writes honestly and powerfully about historical trauma and its lasting effects. Her approachable, empathetic style encourages readers to consider difficult truths and engage thoughtfully.
In her book Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, she explores how the trauma of slavery continues to impact African-American communities today, offering practical insights toward healing and growth.
Layla F. Saad speaks directly and clearly about race, privilege, and what it means to engage in meaningful anti-racist work. She creates space for readers to question themselves honestly and learn to do better without shame or defensiveness.
Her book Me and White Supremacy guides readers through reflective exercises that help uncover biases and fosters meaningful personal change.
Ijeoma Oluo combines clarity, sharp analysis, and approachable warmth in discussing important social and racial issues. She helps readers confront uncomfortable topics directly while providing guidance and support. Her book
So You Want to Talk About Race addresses common questions about racism head-on, offering practical advice on how readers can better communicate about race and inequality.
Michelle Alexander writes with clarity and thoughtfulness, providing sharp critiques of systemic racism in accessible language. She helps readers understand complex issues by clearly laying out the facts and human stories behind them.
Her influential book, The New Jim Crow, reveals how mass incarceration has continued the cycle of racial injustice in the U.S., prompting readers to rethink assumptions about the criminal justice system.
James Baldwin wrote essays, novels, and plays exploring race, identity, and social justice with sharp insight and emotional honesty. His style is direct and poetic, and his work challenges readers to reflect on society and themselves.
The Fire Next Time is a powerful nonfiction book tackling racial injustice in America, making readers think deeply about the country's racial history and future.
Audre Lorde was a writer, feminist, and civil rights activist whose work explores the intersections of race, sexuality, gender, and power. Her clear yet poetic writing encourages readers to understand the personal and political as deeply interconnected.
In Sister Outsider, Lorde's thoughtful essays highlight themes around self-expression, community, and the necessity of facing social inequalities directly.
bell hooks was a thoughtful feminist theorist and activist whose writing examined race, capitalism, gender, and education in clear, accessible language.
hooks believed in communicating complex ideas openly, inviting her readers into conversation about personal and social transformation.
Her well-known book, All About Love: New Visions, offers fresh perspectives on love, critique of societal attitudes, and suggestions for meaningful connections and personal growth.
Patrisse Khan-Cullors is a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, whose writing focuses on racial justice, activism, and community organizing. Her style is honest, grounded, and deeply personal, openly sharing her experiences and struggles to create change.
In the memoir When They Call You a Terrorist, she details her journey of activism, illuminating the real-life effects of racism and police brutality and inspiring readers to pursue justice.
Angela Davis is an influential scholar and activist known for her critical analysis of race, gender, imprisonment, and social justice. Her clear and approachable writing style breaks down complex societal problems, highlighting their roots in systemic inequality.
In her groundbreaking book, Are Prisons Obsolete?, she challenges traditional beliefs around imprisonment, making readers reconsider justice, punishment, and the need for meaningful reform.