The Big Read 2020

This reading list highlights books which explore similar subjects and themes found in Natives. From politics to race, imperialism and identity, there’s plenty of important books here and subjects learn more about to help us tackle prejudice in our society.

These books are all available as eBooks so you don't need to leave your home to read them.

 

Racism- a short history

George Fredrickson surveys the history of Western racism from its emergence in the late Middle Ages to the present. Explores various topics such as romantic nationalism, the slave trade, and Jewish emancipation.

 

 

Race talk and the conspiracy of silence: understanding and facilitating difficult dialogues on race 

A guide for facilitating and participating in difficult dialogues about race, author Derald Wing Sue – an internationally recognized expert on multiculturalism, diversity, and microaggressions – explores the characteristics, dynamics, and meaning behind discussions about race as well as the hidden "ground rules" that  inhibit honest and productive dialogue.

 

 Imperialism, race and resistance Africa and Britain, 1919-1945

Focusing on Britain, West Africa and South Africa, this book charts the growth of anti-colonial resistance and opposition to racism in the prelude to the 'post-colonial' era. 

 

 

Tell me who you are: sharing our stories on race, culture and identity

In this deeply inspiring book, Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi recount their experiences talking to people from all walks of life about race and identity on a cross-country tour of America.

 

 

The many colours of crime: Inequalities of race, ethnicity, and crime in America

In this book, race and ethnicity are considered as central organizing principles in why, how, where and by whom crimes are committed and enforced. The contributors argue that dimensions of race and ethnicity condition the very laws that make certain behaviors criminal, the perception of crime and those who are criminalized.

 

Folk devils and moral panics: The creation of the Mods and the Rockers

Mods and Rockers, skinheads, video nasties, designer drugs, bogus asylum seeks and hoodies. Every era has its own moral panics. It was Stanley Cohen’s account, first published in the early 1970s, that brought the term ‘moral panic’ into widespread discussion. It is an investigation of the way in which the media and often those in a position of political power define a condition, or group, as a threat to societal values and interests. 

 

Orientalism and race: Aryanism in the British Empire

This study traces the emergence and dissemination of Aryanism within the British Empire. The idea of an Aryan race became an important feature of imperial culture in the nineteenth century, feeding into debates in Britain, Ireland, India, and the Pacific.

 

 

African voices on Slavery and the Slave Trade

Though the history of slavery is a central topic for world history, most of the sources presenting research in this area are European in origin. To cast light on African perspectives, and on the viewpoint of enslaved men and women, this group of Africanist scholars has examined conventional historical sources (such as European travel accounts, court cases, and missionary records) and less-explored sources (such as folklore, oral traditions, songs and proverbs).