How We Fight White Supremacy

This celebration of Black resistance, from protests to art to sermons to joy, offers a blueprint for the fight for freedom and justice — and ideas for how each of us can contribute

Many of us are facing unprecedented attacks on our democracy, our privacy, and our hard-won civil rights. If you’re Black in the US, this is not new. As Colorlines editors Akiba Solomon and Kenrya Rankin show, Black Americans subvert and resist life-threatening forces as a matter of course. In these pages, leading organizers, artists, journalists, comedians, and filmmakers offer wisdom on how they fight White supremacy. It’s a must-read for anyone new to resistance work, and for the next generation of leaders building a better future.

Featuring contributions from:

Ta-Nehisi Coates
Tarana Burke
Harry Belafonte
Adrienne Maree brown
Alicia Garza
Patrisse Khan-Cullors
Reverend Dr. Valerie Bridgeman
Kiese Laymon
Jamilah Lemieux
Robin DG Kelley
Damon Young
Michael Arceneaux
Hanif Abdurraqib
Dr. Yaba Blay
Diamond Stingily
Amanda Seales
Imani Perry
Denene Millner
Kierna Mayo
John Jennings
Dr. Joy Harden Bradford
Tongo Eisen-Martin

Praise

"A timely and important work to support, educate, nourish, and sustain us all in resisting the lethal effects of white supremacy." —Kimberlé Crenshaw, Professor Law, Columbia Law School and University of California, Los Angeles

"How We Fight White Supremacy is a brilliant, beautiful, and politically urgent text. This carefully curated collection masterfully explores the nuances, contours, and contradictions of a world in which Whiteness continues to define our social reality. Moving beyond rigid analysis or self-indulgent storytelling, this book offers us an impressive range of academic, political, and personal takes on White supremacy. More importantly, the book gives us permission to dream, think, organize, and struggle for a world outside of it." —Marc Lamont Hill, author of Nobody: Casualties of America's War on The Vulnerable from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond

"How We Fight White Supremacy is the primer America needs right now! White supremacy is hardly new, but each generation needs to be reminded of the strategies of resistance and resilience that have made African American struggle so powerful and effective. Every American who cares about protecting the future of our country against the inhumanity of racist oppression should read this book today!" —Michael Eric Dyson, New York Times bestselling author of What Truth Sounds Like

The Liberation Playlist

March 1 2019

Understanding the Black Lives Matter Movement through Music and Books

Discover Bold Type Books' favorite music and reads for understanding the Black Lives Matter movement How We Fight White Supremacy is a celebration of Black resistance and a blueprint for the fight for freedom and justice, featuring contributions from Ta-Nehisi Coates, Tarana Burke, Harry Belafonte, Kiese Laymon and more. In honor of the book's…

Read full article

Understanding the Black Lives Matter Movement through Music and Books

Meet The Author: Akiba Solomon

Akiba Solomon is the senior editorial director of Colorlines and an NABJ Award-winning journalist and editor whose writing on culture, race, gender, and reproductive health has appeared in Essence, Dissent, Glamour, Vibe, and Ebony, among other outlets. She is the co-editor of Naked: Black Women Bare All About Their Skin, Hair, Hips, Lips, and Other Parts. Solomon has spoken about women’s and social justice issues at institutions including the Schomburg Center, Stanford, Yale, and Harvard. A graduate of Howard University, she is based in New York.

Discover More

Meet The Author: Kenrya Rankin

Kenrya Rankin is an award-winning author, journalist, editorial consultant and the editorial director at Colorlines. Her work has appeared in dozens of national publications, including the New York Times, Glamour, Reader’s Digest and Fast Company. She is the author of four books, including Bet on Black: African-American Women Celebrate Fatherhood in the Age of Barack Obama. A graduate of Howard University and New York University, she is based in Washington, D.C.