I decided to write this month’s Must Read blog post a little early because this topic has been on my mind for a while now. I’ve been thinking about updating my Must Read book list by removing a few titles and doing a better job of highlighting books that truly align with where I am in my reading and growth journey today.
If you’re following along, you may have noticed that my Goodreads list is not up to date. Many people made a conscious effort to leave Goodreads due to its ties to Amazon, and some were concerned by how some users strategically disparaged Black authors in their reviews. Like other people, I’ve started tracking my reading more consistently on StoryGraph. It’s a platform I love, not just because of its features, but also because it’s Black woman-owned. Once I figure out how to replace my Goodreads link on this site with my StoryGraph profile, it will better reflect where I’m putting my energy.
Recently, there has been some critical online conversation around books I reviewed years ago, such as White Fragility and How to Be an Antiracist. These books have been removed from my Must Read page. During my time of reflection, I realized that I want to remove them. While they played a role in shaping my understanding at the time, I now recognize the critiques: that many of the ideas in these works weren’t new, and that Black women have been talking about these topics long before others mainstreamed them. I believe writing should build on the work of others, especially when it does so with proper acknowledgment and respect.
Also, it just reminds me of a time in 2020 when white people were in a rush to read these types of books, and in my opinion, it did not yield the results that should have occurred once people read about how bias and racism show up. These book titles trigger me in a way that gives me the ick and highlights the virtue signaling and performative allyship that occurred from 2020 to 2022, which we no longer need. We need people to really do the work of dismantling racism and standing up to bigotry. And if you can not take Black women’s scholarship seriously, then you aren’t really trying to do the work.
I’m grateful for other scholarship that provided me with language for experiences I couldn’t quite put into words before. I want to make room to center and amplify the voices that have originated and long nurtured these conversations, especially those of Black women thinkers, writers, and organizers. I have begun updating my Must Read list. I will leave my original blog posts about the books so that my journey is archived. I’m also excited to add new books I haven’t shared before, and you can expect a blog post soon that dives into those titles.
Have you updated your own reading list lately? What book by a Black woman author changed how you saw the world? Let’s talk in the comments.
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