- Resources
- Anti-Racism and Learning Library
- Films, Documentaries and Shorts
- Podcasts
- Websites
- Short Videos
- Resources Recommended by UC Davis Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Academic Resources
Resources
Anti-Oppression LibGuide: Anti-ableism resources
UC Davis Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Glossary
PRIDE Employee Resource Group on Facebook
Vice Chancellor’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Council
DEI Action Planning for Divisions, Colleges, Schools, and Departments
Gender-inclusive restrooms at UC Davis
UC Davis Out List
NOTE: This list requires a UC Davis login and currently is only available for UC Davis affiliates as part of our community-building efforts.
Anti-Racism and Learning Library
Reading Materials
Fraud Waste Abuse (pdf)
Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Girma
Men Explain Things To Me by Rebecca Solnit
Queer: A Graphic History by Dr. Meg-John Barker and Julia Scheele — Queer: A Graphic History critically examines concepts of gender and sexual expression in a graphic novel format. Queer explores the reasons why we think and believe the things we do about sex and gender in modern culture. Barker and Scheele utilize a historical and sociological approach to unpacking popular norms of identity politics, inclusion, gender roles, gender expression, and so much more—all through comic panels.
Stand by Me: The Forgotten History of Gay Liberation by Jim Downs — In Stand By Me, historian Jim Downs chronicles decades of LGBTQ activism, from the Stonewall riots to the often forgotten figures who launched the gay rights movement. Through this rich historical perspective, Downs illustrates the complexities of being LGBTQ in the United States. Stand by Me acknowledges the nuances of LGBTQ identity while asserting that the community justly desires what many heterosexual individuals take for granted—basic human dignity and the right to be safe and accepted in society.
Born Both by Hida Viloria — A Lambda Literary Awards finalist, Born Both is the autobiographical account from intersex and non-binary activist Viloria. Born intersex—meaning born with both male and female sex characteristics—Viloria chronicles life “in the space between genders–to be both and neither.” In Viloria’s own words, Born Both reconciles the sometimes-confusing journey of finding acceptance and love with “a world that insists on categorizing.”
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde — A celebration of what it means to be queer, Sister Outsider is a breath of fresh air amidst the often-difficult personal exploration of sex, gender, and identity. This collection of essays and speeches given by the famed African-American womanist and lesbian writer Audre Lorde is considered a groundbreaking book that defines and celebrates LGBTQ identity amidst its social challenges.
How Leaders Can Build True Inclusion — Comstock’s Magazine, Adrienne S. Lawson, of UC Davis Health, talks about how leaders can promote workplace inclusion and justice.
Between the World and Me — Ta-Nehisi Coates: Hailed by Toni Morrison as “required reading,” a bold and personal literary exploration of America’s racial history by “the most important essayist in a generation and a writer who changed the national political conversation about race.”
Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do — Jennifer L. Eberhardt PhD: How do we talk about bias? How do we address racial disparities and inequities? What role do our institutions play in creating, maintaining, and magnifying those inequities? What role do we play? With a perspective that is at once scientific, investigative, and informed by personal experience, Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt offers us the language and courage we need to face one of the biggest and most troubling issues of our time. She exposes racial bias at all levels of society—in our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and criminal justice system. Yet she also offers us tools to address it.
Black Like Me — John Howard Griffin: The history-making classic about crossing the line in America's segregated south. The Atlanta Journal & Constitution calls it “One of the deepest, most penetrating documents yet set down on the racial question.”
How To Be An Antiracist — Ibram X. Kendi: “What do you do after you have written Stamped From the Beginning, an award-winning history of racist ideas? . . . If you’re Ibram X. Kendi, you craft another stunner of a book. . . . What emerges from these insights is the most courageous book to date on the problem of race in the Western mind, a confessional of self-examination that may, in fact, be our best chance to free ourselves from our national nightmare.”—The New York Times
I Can't Breathe: A Killing on Bay Street — Matt Tiabbi: A work of riveting literary journalism that explores the roots and repercussions of the infamous killing of Eric Garner by the New York City police.
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption — Bryan Stevenson: “Every bit as moving as To Kill a Mockingbird, and in some ways more so . . . a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.”—David Cole, The New York Review of Books
On the Courthouse Lawn: Confronting the Legacy of Lynching in the Twenty-First Century — Sherrilyn A. Ifill: “This pathbreaking book by Sherrilyn Ifill shows how the ugliest messages from our racial history and politics can hide openly in the public square. Her unflinching memory restores hope for the common good.”—Taylor Branch, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Parting the Waters
So You Want to Talk About Race — Ijeoma Oluo: "Ijeoma Oluo's [book] is a welcome gift to us all -- a critical offering during a moment when the hard work of social transformation is hampered by the inability of anyone who benefits from systemic racism to reckon with its costs. Oluo's mandate is clear and powerful: change will not come unless we are brave enough to name and remove the many forces at work strangling freedom. Racial supremacy is but one of those forces." ―Darnell L. Moore, author of No Ashes in the Fire
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America — Ibram X. Kendi: The National Book Award winning history of how racist ideas were created, spread, and deeply rooted in American society. In this deeply researched and fast-moving narrative, Kendi chronicles the entire story of anti-black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history. He uses the life stories of five major American intellectuals to drive this history: Puritan minister Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, W.E.B. Du Bois, and legendary activist Angela Davis.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You — Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi: "Readers who want to truly understand how deeply embedded racism is in the very fabric of the U.S., its history, and its systems will come away educated and enlightened. Worthy of inclusion in every home and in curricula and libraries everywhere. Impressive and much needed." — Kirkus
Sundown Towns — James Loewen: In this groundbreaking work, sociologist James W. Loewen brings to light decades of hidden racial exclusion in America. In a sweeping analysis of American residential patterns, Loewen uncovers the thousands of “sundown towns”—almost exclusively white towns where it was an unspoken rule that blacks weren’t welcome — that cropped up throughout the twentieth century, most of them located outside of the South.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley — In the searing pages of this classic 1964 autobiography, Malcolm X outlines the lies and limitations of the American Dream, along with the inherent racism in a society that denies its nonwhite citizens the opportunity to dream.
The Color of Law — Richard Rothstein: Rothstein argues with exacting precision and fascinating insight how segregation in America — the incessant kind that continues to dog our major cities and has contributed to so much recent social strife — is the byproduct of explicit government policies at the local, state, and federal levels.
The Fire Next Time — James Baldwin: "Baldwin's bestseller from 1963, which commemorated the centennial of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, still resonates powerfully today. The late author's book consists of two essays that examine racial injustice in America, including his own experience growing up as a black teenager in Harlem."
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness — Michelle Alexander: The New Jim Crow "took the academy and the streets by storm, and forced the nation to reconsider the systems that allowed for blatant discrimination.”—The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Other — Wes Moore: "This is a fascinating book about two young men from Baltimore with the same name. One, the author, became a Rhodes Scholar while the other landed in jail. It's as much a meditation on circumstance and luck as it is a commentary on how successful our society is in managing those who are on the precipice, both socially and economically."
The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias — Dolly Chugh: An inspiring guide from Dolly Chugh, an award-winning social psychologist at the New York University Stern School of Business, on how to confront difficult issues including sexism, racism, inequality, and injustice so that you can make the world (and yourself) better.
The Warmth of Other Suns — Isabel Wilkerson: In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life.
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism — Robin DiAngelo: The New York Times best-selling book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality.
White Rage — Carol Anderson: "White Rage is a riveting and disturbing history that begins with Reconstruction and lays bare the efforts of whites in the South and North alike to prevent emancipated black people from achieving economic independence, civil and political rights, personal safety, and economic opportunity." - The Nation
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? — Beverly Daniel Tatum: Walk into any racially mixed high school and you will see Black, White, and Latino youth clustered in their own groups. Is this self-segregation a problem to address or a coping strategy? Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned authority on the psychology of racism, argues that straight talk about our racial identities is essential if we are serious about enabling communication across racial and ethnic divides. This fully revised edition is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the dynamics of race in America.
Films, Documentaries and Shorts
13th — The U.S. imprisons more people than any other country in the world, and a third of U.S. prisoners are black. In this infuriating documentary, director Ava DuVernay argues that mass incarceration, Jim Crow and slavery are "the three major racialized systems of control adopted in the United States to date."
I Am Not Your Negro — Narrated by the words of James Baldwin with the voice of Samuel L. Jackson, I Am Not Your Negro connects the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter. Although Baldwin died nearly 30 years before the film's release, his observations about racial conflict are as incisive today as they were when he made them.
Whose Streets? — The 2014 killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown by police in Ferguson, Mo. was one of the deaths that sparked the Black Lives Matter movement. Frustrated by media coverage of unrest in Ferguson, co-directors Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis documented how locals felt about police in riot gear filling their neighborhoods with tear gas. As one resident says, "They don't tell you the fact that the police showed up to a peaceful candlelight vigil...and boxed them in, and forced them onto a QuikTrip lot."
LA 92 — LA 92 is about the Los Angeles riots that occurred in response to the police beating of Rodney King. The film is entirely comprised of archival footage — no talking heads needed. It's chilling to watch the unrest of nearly 30 years ago, as young people still take to the streets and shout, "No justice, no peace."
Teach Us All — Over 60 years after Brown v. Board of Education, American schools are still segregated. Teach Us All explains why that is — school choice, residential segregation, biased admissions processes — and talks to advocates working for change. Interspersing interviews from two Little Rock Nine members, the documentary asks how far we've really come.
Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise — In this two-part series, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. chronicles the last 50 years of black history through a personal lens. Released days after the 2016 election, some themes of the documentary took on a deeper meaning amid Donald Trump's win. "Think of the civil rights movement to the present as a second Reconstruction — a 50-year Reconstruction — that ended last night," Gates said in an interview with Salon.
When They See Us — Four-part Netflix series by Ava DuVernay about the wrongful incarceration and ultimate exoneration of the “Central Park Five.” (four 1+ hour episodes)
Slavery by Another name — 90 minutes PBS documentary challenges the idea that slavery ended with the emancipation proclamation. (90 minutes)
Unnatural Cause — Seven part documentary by California Newsreel that explores the impact of racism on health and US healthcare. (4 hours total, episodes have variable lengths)
Birth of a White Nation — Keynote speech by legal scholar Jacqueline Battalora, offers a blow-by-blow description of the moment the idea of, and word for, "white" people entered U.S. legal code. (36 minutes)
In The White Man's Image — PBS documentary about the Native American boarding school movement designed to “kill the Indian and save the man.” (56 minutes)
Race: The Power of an Illusion — Three-part, three-hour film by California Newsreel exploring the biology of skin color, the concept of assimilation, and the history of institutional racism. (three 1 hour episodes)
Podcasts
Floodlines from The Atlantic — An audio documentary about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Floodlines is told from the perspective of four New Orleanians still living with the consequences of governmental neglect. As COVID-19 disproportionately infects and kills Americans of color, the story feels especially relevant. "As a person of color, you always have it in the back of your mind that the government really doesn't care about you," said self-described Katrina overcomer Alice Craft-Kerney.
1619 from The New York Times — "In August of 1619, a ship carrying more than 20 enslaved Africans arrived in the English colony of Virginia. America was not yet America, but this was the moment it began." Hosted by recent Pulitzer Prize winner Nikole Hannah-Jones, the 1619 audio series chronicles how black people have been central to building American democracy, music, wealth and more.
Intersectionality Matters! from The African American Policy Forum — Hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a leading critical race theorist who coined the term "intersectionality," this podcast brings the academic term to life. Each episode brings together lively political organizers, journalists and writers. This recent episode on COVID-19 in prisons and other areas of confinement is a must-listen.
Throughline from NPR — Every week at Throughline, our pals Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei "go back in time to understand the present." To understand the history of systemic racism in America, we recommend "American Police," "Mass Incarceration" and "Milliken v. Bradley."
Teaching While White — hosted by longtime educators Jenna Chandler-Ward and Elizabeth Denevi, TWW’s podcast focuses on how whiteness shows up in the education sector and what anti-racist educators are doing to challenge that. Episodes feature different nationally renowned anti-racist educator guests. (any episode — times vary)
All My Relations — hosted by Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) and Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation) this podcast “explores indigeneity in all its complexity.” Episodes focus on issues such as DNA identity, appropriation, feminism, food sovereignty, gender, sexuality, and more while “keeping it real, playing games, laughing a lot, and even crying sometimes.” (any episode - one-ish hour each)
Code Switch — hosted by journalists Gene Demby and Shereen Marisol Meraji, both people of color, this podcast is curated by a team of NPC journalists of color who navigate the complexities of race, both professionally and personally, daily. Episodes focus on a wide range of issues overlapping race, ethnicity,and culture. (any episode — times vary)
Breakdances with Wolves Podcast — hosted by Gyasi Ross, Wesley ("Snipes Type") Roach, and Minty LongEarth, “a few Natives with opinions and a platform.” Episodes report on current events through an indigenous perspective. (any episode — one-ish hour each)
Black Like Me — host Dr. Alex Gee “invites you to experience the world through the perspective of one Black man, one conversation, one story, or even one rant at a time.” (any episode — times vary)
Websites
Being An Ally Requires Being Anti-Racist
The 21 Day Anti-Racism Challenge
Racial Micro-aggressions You Hear on a Daily Basis
Short Videos
This is Us — Dr. Eddie Glaude explains why blaming current racial tensions on Donald Trump misses the point. (3 minutes)
The Iroquois Influence on the Constitution — Host and producer of First Voices Indigenous Radio Tiokasin Ghosthorse explains the sequestering of two Iroquois chiefs to advise in the writing of the U.S. Constitution. (4 minutes)
Racism is Real — A split-screen video depicting the differential in the white and black lived experience. (3 minutes)
Confronting ‘intergroup anxiety’: Can you try too hard to be fair? — Explores why we may get tongue tied and blunder when we encounter people from groups unfamiliar to us. (5 minutes)
I Didn't Tell You — Ever wonder what a day in the life of a person of color is like? Listen to this poem, written and spoken by Norma Johnson. (7 minutes)
CBS News Analysis: 50 states, 50 different ways of teaching America's past — Ibram X. Kendi reviews current history curriculum production and use across the U.S. (5 minutes)
The Disturbing History of the Suburbs — An Adam Ruins Everything episode that quickly and humorously educates how redlining came to be. (6 minutes)
New York Times Op-Docs on Race — Multiple videos with a range of racial and ethnic perspectives on the lived experience of racism in the US. (each video about 6 minutes)
Why “I’m not racist” is only half the story — Robin DiAngelo explains the function of white fragility in maintaining racial hierarchy. (7 minutes)
White Bred — Excellent quick intro to how white supremacy shapes white lives and perception. (5 minutes)
What Kind of Asian Are You? — Humorous two minute youtube video that illustrates the utter silliness of the way many white Americans interact with Asian Americans. (2 minutes)
What Would You Do: Bicycle Thief Episode? — ABC’s popular show explores the impact of racial and gender bias and prejudice at a family friendly park. Before this video, would you have anticipated this differential treatment?
What Being Hispanic and Latinx Means in the United States — Fernanda Ponce shares what she’s learning about the misunderstanding and related mistreatment of the incredibly diverse ethnic category people in U.S. call Hispanic. (12 minutes)
Indigenous People React to Indigenous Representation in Film And TV — Conversation with a diverse range of Indigenous people by FBE about media depictions of Indigenous people, Columbus day, and Indigenous identity. (15 minutes)
How to deconstruct racism, one headline at a time — TED Talk by Baratunde Thurston that explores patterns revealing our racist framing, language, and behaviors. (10 minutes)
The urgency of intersectionality — TED Talk by Kimberlé Crenshaw that asks us to see the ways Black women have been invisibilized in the law and in media. (19 minutes)
The danger of a single story — TED Talk by Chimamanda Adiche, offers insight to the phenomenon of using small bits of information to imagine who a person is. (18 minutes)
How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them — TED Talk by Vernā Myers, encourages work vigorously to counter balance bias by connecting with and learning about and from the groups we fear. (19 minutes)
Hip hop, grit, and academic success — TEDx Talk by Dr. Bettina Love, explains how students steeped in Hip Hop culture, often seen as deficient, actually bring the very characteristics deemed necessary for 21st century success. (15 minutes)
Neurodiversity and Disability Justice—video of Lydia X. Z. Brown (1 hour and 18 minutes) “This section contains resources on ableism, police violence against folks with disabilities, accessibility and inclusion, and more. It is important to work so that social justice movements are inclusive and embracing of everyone’s whole being.”
Imagining a world without hate — Anti-Defamation League (YouTube)
Empathy: The Human Connection to Patient Care — Cleveland Clinic (YouTube)
Disability Justice by POC Online Classroom (3–5 minutes) “Learning birth injury causes, signs, and treatments can empower and guide you as you take action to help your child.”
Resources Recommended by UC Davis Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
What is Anti-Racism? — the concept of anti-racism from Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre (ACLRC)
Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit Resources — Association of American Medical Colleges
Racial Equity Resources for Supervisors — UC Davis Human Resources
Equity and Justice Resources for Self-Education — compiled by the Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Action Steps Toward Racial Justice (webinar recording) — UC Living Fit Forever Lunch and Learn facilitated by Adrienne Lawson, Ed.D.
Seeking Inclusion Excellence: Understanding Racial Microaggressions as Experienced by Underrepresented Medical and Nursing Students — PubMed.gov, Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges
Race and Injustice in America — PBS KVIE Studio Sacramento
There's No Scientific Basis for Race - It's a Made-Up Label — Elizabeth Kolbert, National Geographic
Color blind or color brave? — Mellody Hobson (YouTube)
The danger of silence — Poet and Teacher, Clint Smith (YouTube)
UC Davis Counseling Services Mental Health Webinar — (previously recorded zoom webinar)
Academic Resources
Academic Resources on Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion