The best books, documentaries and movies to educate yourself on historical marginalization.
Below are some suggested materials that encompass a deeper understanding of the history and impact of historical marginalization told by those with lived experience.
As a foster youth advocate, Hannah Stombler-Levine encourages everyone seeking these out to remember that cultural competence and education is an ongoing process, engaging with a variety of perspectives and sources will contribute to a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the issues at hand.
Trigger warning for all of these — as these subject matters may be disturbing.
Books:
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander explores the link between the criminal justice system and the historic marginalization of African Americans in the United States. Available here or wherever you get your books.
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond examines the impact of eviction on poverty in America, highlighting systemic issues contributing to housing instability. Available here or wherever you get your books.
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson shares the lawyer and activist's experiences defending marginalized individuals in the criminal justice system. Available here or wherever you get your books.
The Broken Ladder: How Inequality Affects the Way We Think, Live, and Die" by Keith Payne delves into the impact of social and economic inequality on our cognition, lifestyles, and overall well-being.
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi provides a comprehensive history of racist ideas in the United States and their influence on policies and institutions.
Documentaries:
13th (2016): Directed by Ava DuVernay, this documentary explores the connection between the 13th Amendment and the mass incarceration of Black Americans.
I Am Not Your Negro (2016): Based on James Baldwin's unfinished manuscript, this documentary reflects on the history of racism in America.
The Central Park Five (2012): A documentary by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon that recounts the wrongful conviction of five Black and Latino teenagers accused of raping a white woman in Central Park in 1989.
Movies:
The Hate U Give (2018): Based on the novel by Angie Thomas, this film follows a young African American girl who witnesses the police shooting of her friend and must navigate the complexities of systemic racism.
Parasite (2019): A South Korean film that explores class divisions and societal inequality through the lens of a poor family infiltrating the lives of a wealthy household.
12 Years a Slave (2013): A powerful historical drama based on the memoir of Solomon Northup, a free Black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the pre-Civil War United States.
NOTE: Any commissions made from the affiliate links in this post are donated to non-profits supporting foster youth.
