How to Be an Antiracist Book Summary - How to Be an Antiracist Book explained in key points

Listen to the Intro

00:00

How to Be an Antiracist summary

Name: How to Be an Antiracist
Rating: 4.2 (250 reviews)
Author: Ibram X. Kendi

Ibram X. Kendi

A groundbreaking approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality in our society

4.2 (250 ratings)

24 mins

Brief summary

How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi is a thought-provoking exploration of racism and a guide to actively fighting against it in our daily lives.

Topics

Race Black Lives Matter

Table of Contents

How to Be an Antiracist
Summary of 7 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? See the world from an antiracist perspective. 

The 2015 shooting of innocent churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, the recent surge of far-right populism, and the ongoing police brutality toward African Americans – these are just a few of the shocking injustices that show that racism, despite the best efforts of many, continues to plague society today. Indeed, in our increasingly polarized and divided politics, it can sometimes feel impossible to shake off the toxic legacy of racial inequality and hatred.

But don’t give up hope, because these blinks are about to show you how you can become a force for positive change.

Covering topics like segregationism, biological racism and colorism, these blinks explore a range of antiracist ideas that will help you cast off your old assumptions and traditional ways of thinking about race and begin to see racism clearly for the first time, in others and maybe even in yourself. Combining sociology, politics and personal memoir history, these blinks present useful insights for anyone who wants to make our world more equal and just.

Along the way, you’ll discover

how you can become an antiracist;
why some believe that Black people can’t be racist; and
what racism and cancer have in common.

Antiracists know racial inequality is fuelled by racist policies. 

In 2019, racial justice seems to be going backward. Just take a look at Donald Trump, the President of the United States, who reportedly once declared that “Laziness is a trait in Blacks.” During his election campaign, Trump also described Mexican immigrants as rapists and criminals.

Clearly, our age demands that decent people stand up against the racism that permeates every level of our society. And the first question to ask yourself is: Are you a racist – or an antiracist?

What do we mean by these terms and how does the author define them?

A racist is someone who communicates ideas that are racist or who supports racist policies, either actively or by being apathetic. A racist idea is one that posits any racial group as being better or worse than another, either biologically, culturally, or in any other respect – for example, when Thomas Jefferson declared that African Americans were “inferior to the whites in the endowments of both body and mind.”

Racist policy is any law, process or rule that creates racial inequity. Racial inequity is when some sort of inequality exists between racial groups. For example, in 2014, only 41 percent of African American families owned their homes, compared to just over 70 percent of white families. Arguably, policies that are neutral or nonracist don’t exist, as every policy creates or maintains either racial equity or inequity.

Importantly, in a racist society, it is typically the racist policies that are implemented first, usually because they benefit the racist policymakers in some way. The racist ideas come afterward and are used by the racist policymaker to explain and justify the resulting racial inequity.

For instance, the very concept of race did not exist until the fifteenth century, when Portugal began trading enslaved Africans. Decades later, the idea of a "Black race" was born, and the Portuguese propagated the notion that people of this race were inherently lazy and savage, and therefore needed to be "saved." Thus, the self-interested racist policy came first and the racist idea that justified it came afterward.

An antiracist policy is one that promotes equity among racial groups. Crucially, an antiracist policy may positively discriminate to achieve greater equity – and this is not racist. For instance, affirmative action programs, introduced in the US in the 1960s, have sometimes been called racist for favoring African American job applicants. But this type of initiative promotes greater racial equality and thus is not racist. In other words, positive discrimination based on race is not necessarily racism. Lastly, an antiracist idea is one that believes racial groups will always be equal and that they have neither good nor bad qualities, regardless of any ostensible differences.

Racists believe that racial inequality is caused by an inferior Black culture. 

Sometimes racism is subtle. In 1985, the celebrated politician and author Eleanor Holmes Norton claimed that improving the lot of African Americans would take more than antiracist policies, such as providing opportunities and essential goods. Instead, she said, a damaging "ghetto culture" needed to be tackled and some Black people would need to be taught a better work ethic, how to respect their own families and the value of an education.

Unfortunately, Norton’s claims represented a deeply racist perspective; one that persists today.

It’s racist to believe that there are meaningful biological differences between the races.

The author recalls that as a child, he had looked around at the other children in his class. Seeing a Black girl, with her cornrows, dark skin and broad nose, he saw a compelling sameness. But looking at the straight-haired, thin-lipped white kids in his class, he saw only deep and meaningful differences.

Unfortunately, these perceptions are the hallmark of biological racism; problematic thinking that, sadly, many of us have entertained at some point in our lives.

Racist ideas about color perpetuate the myth that lighter is better.

As a college student, Kendi wore colored contact lenses that made his eyes a shade of honey – much lighter than their natural color. If you’d asked, he would have told you that he was simply tweaking his appearance and trying to maximize his attractiveness, as many of us do. But now, as an antiracist, he questions his younger self’s choices. Why, exactly, did he assume that lighter was better?

He now knows that he fell into the trap of colorism – a collection of racist ideas that pits dark and light skin shades against each other in the inferior versus superior binary. To be an antiracist, one must understand that colorism has historically discriminated against darker-skinned people of color while privileging lighter-skinned people of color.

Racist ideas about white people are still racist ideas.

In December 2000, Kendi was incandescent with rage. Republican George W. Bush had just been declared the next president of the United States after an election race against Democrat Al Gore. But in the eyes of millions of African Americans, Gore was the rightful winner.

The reason for this was because hundreds of thousands of African Americans had been unable to cast their ballots – some because they’d simply not been sent registration cards even after registering to vote. And distressingly, these missing votes might have been enough to put Gore in the White House. In Florida alone, for example, African Americans had their ballot papers rejected ten times more than their white counterparts.

Black people are just as capable of anti-Black racism as their white counterparts. 

As a college student, sitting in a meeting with an African American newspaper editor, the author was taken aback when the editor told him he was fed up with being treated by the police as if he was one of those N-words, an implied distinction of superiority between himself and lower-income Black people. Aside from the shock and hurt of the word, the author was especially outraged because the editor was Black himself.

Unfortunately, as Kendi notes, this incident is just one of many where he has had to confront, in his opinion, the fact that African Americans can be just as guilty of anti-Black racism as white people.

Racism has spread through society like a cancer – but we can beat it.

In early 2018, Kendi received some news that would change his life forever. After suffering from stomach upsets and nausea throughout the Christmas period, he was diagnosed with colon cancer. As if this wasn’t devastating enough, given that he was just 35 years old, the doctors had more bad news. The cancer was at stage four and had already spread to other parts of his body.

Interestingly, as he underwent treatment, he began to see similarities between cancer and racism.

Want to see all full key ideas from How to Be an Antiracist?

Key ideas in How to Be an Antiracist

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

What is How to Be an Antiracist about?

How to be an Antiracist (2019) explores the causes of and solutions to the racism that plagues our societies. Drawing on his own experiences as well as political and historical insights, the author shines a light on what he argues is a truly antiracist perspective and explains how you can effect change in an unjust world.

How to Be an Antiracist Review

How To Be An Antiracist (2019) by Ibram X. Kendi is a powerful examination of racism and antiracism in today's society. Here's why this book is a must-read:

It provides a comprehensive understanding of racism, its manifestations, and the actions needed to combat it.
The book combines personal experiences, historical context, and scholarly research, offering a multi-faceted perspective.
Its actionable advice empowers readers to actively challenge racism in their own lives and communities.

Become a part of the solution by reading How To Be An Antiracist.

Best quote from How to Be an Antiracist

Racism is a marriage of racist policies and racist ideas that produces and normalizes inequities.

—Ibram X. Kendi

Who should read How to Be an Antiracist?

Anyone who cares about social justice
Those who want to change the world
Political individuals looking for fresh insights

About the Author

Ibram X. Kendi is an American author and academic. His book Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America won the 2016 National Book Award for Nonfiction. Kendi is the founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University.

Categories with How to Be an Antiracist

Society & Culture

Books like How to Be an Antiracist

The Only Game In Town

Mohamed A. El-Erian

Central Banks, Instability, And Avoiding The Next Collapse

How to Root Out Bias, Prejudice, and Bullying to Build a Kick-ass Culture of Inclusivity

Finding Your Way Through the Hardest and Most Crucial Part of Any Bold Venture

19 min

4.2

Write Your Book in a Flash

Dan Janal

The Paint-by-Numbers System to Write the Book of Your Dreams—FAST!

22 min

4.8

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Daniel Kahneman

Intuition or deliberation? Where you can (and can't) trust your brain

With Mind and Matter and Autobiographical Sketches

Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

33 min

4.3

Stamped from the Beginning

Ibram X. Kendi

The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America

35 min

4.3

It Takes What It Takes

Trevor Moawad with Andy Staples

How to Think Neutrally and Gain Control of Your Life

The 7 Things Resilient People Do Differently (And How They Can Help You Succeed in Business and Life)

20 min

4.5

Excellent Advice for Living

Kevin Kelly

Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier

What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together

30 min

4.1

The Confidence Code

Katty Kay and Claire Shipman

The Science and Art of Self-Assurance: What Women Should Know

18 min

4.1

Happy Mind, Happy Life

Rangan Chatterjee

The New Science of Mental Well-Being

18 min

4.5

The Imperfectionists

Robert McLean and Charles Conn

Strategic Mindsets for Uncertain Times

23 min

4.5

Braving the Wilderness

Brené Brown

The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone

16 min

4.3

How to Read a Financial Report

John A. Tracy and Tage C. Tracy

Essential Information for Entrepreneurs, Lenders, Investors, Analysts, and Management

15 min

4.3

Every Man's Battle

Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker with Mike Yorkey

Winning the War on Sexual Temptation One Victory at a Time

16 min

3.0

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

Gabor Maté

Close Encounters with Addiction

A Common Sense Guide to the Economy

20 min

4.5

On the Origin of Species

Charles Darwin

By Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life

An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

25 min

4.7

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Marie Kondo

The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

14 min

4.3

The Richest Man in Babylon

George S. Clason

Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century

17 min

4.4

Easy Money

Ben McKenzie with Jacob Silverman

Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud

19 min

Lean In

Sheryl Sandberg

Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

What you Thought Was a Diagnosis May Be Your Greatest Strength

Empower Your Team To Reach Their Full Potential and Build A Business That Builds Leaders

Lose up to a Pound a Day, Reclaim Energy and Focus, Upgrade Your Life

21 min

4.4

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Richard Pink & Roxanne Emery

Why adults with ADHD are so ashamed and what we can do to help

The Psychology of Persuasion

Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity

How an Ancient Library of Poems, Letters, and Stories Can Transform the Way You Think and Feel About Everything

Cybersecurity Advice from the Best Hackers in the World

My Remarkable Life in Show Business

How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior

31 min

4.3

What Napoleon Could Not Do

DK Nnuro

A Novel

26 min

Emotional Intelligence

How to Calm Your Thoughts, Heal Your Mind and Bring Your Life Back Under Control

16 min

4.3

The Gifts of Imperfection

Brené Brown

Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed To Be and Embrace Who You Are

Short Life Advice from the Best in the World

How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World

A Proven Path to All the Money You Will Ever Need

20 min

4.3

Reinventing Your Life

Jeffrey E. Young and Janet S. Klosko

The Breakthrough Program to End Negative Behaviour...and Feel Great Again

17 min

4.4

What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast

Laura Vanderkam

And Two Other Short Guides to Achieving More at Work and Home

Activate Your Full Human Potential

And Other Dangerous Situations

21 min

4.6

When Breath Becomes Air

Paul Kalanithi

Finding hope in the face of insurmountable odds

19 min

4.2

The Resilient Founder

Mahendra Ramsinghani

Lessons in Endurance from Startup Entrepreneurs

11 min

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.