How to Be an Antiracist

How does Kendi implicate himself in his personal narratives about racism? How does he portray the nature of his experiences alongside terms and definitions of racism?

What is the role of history throughout this book? How is it used to enhance Kendi’s argument about the definition of racism and antiracist work?

Why does Kendi insist on the reference to racist policy over other commonly used terms such as institutional racism, structural racism, or systemic racism? What does a recognition of racist policy allow over these other terms?

Kendi makes the distinction between segregationist, assimilationist, and antiracist approaches. What is Black people’s relationship to each of these approaches? Why does Kendi advocate for an antiracist approach over the others?

Where does Kendi present areas of knowledge he lacks and continues to strive for understanding? How does he represent his omissions in this book?

Kendi argues that contrary to popular belief, racism negatively impacts White people as well as people of color. How does racism negatively impact White people? And how is this different from the notion of reverse racism?

Describe three Black thinkers or scholars with whom Kendi aligns his discussion of antiracism. What are disagreements he has with these individuals?

How does Kendi’s use of the metastatic cancer metaphor for racism towards the end of the book amplify or change the course of his argument for antiracist strategies around racism?