For me the last years made it very visible for everyone that we live in a structural racist world, that puts non-white people at a disadvantage.
yes, I had non-white friends my whole life, with some of which I witnessed and discussed the racism they encountered.
Yet I’m also very much aware that I was still living a very lucky and privileged life.
Although we were not what is considered rich and we did not get everything we wanted as children. As both of my parents worked, owned a house, had two cars, went yearly on holiday, we were indeed completely not poor, not to say richer than most people in the world. Probably more than most people in our country, and yet I remember many worries about money when I was young.
By consequence the mantra: work hard and you will get what you want, sounds logical.
And thus, coming from that background, I had no idea what messages our society gives to people who are not a white men.

It’s only when I lived myself 3 years from welfare, that I understood a lot better what poor must be. And still I was surrounded by people who had money and so I was not really poor. even if I had regularly days I could not afford food, yet most days I had food or friends with food. When I heard others talk about poor people, I understood that if you never had been poor, there is no way you can understand what it’s like. I don’t think most of my friends, my parents, my sister, brother, my partner or children have any idea how I had to live to survive.
I realised that it’s the same for being a women or being black. As a white men, I will never understand. And yet it consider it my responsibility to become better educated, and always realize, I will never full grasp it.

Over the years I have read some books on the discrimination of women and books on racisms. yet that was occasionally.
When the black life matters movement got again traction in 2020, I wanted to take my education on racisms at a higher level. Supporting BLM, without understanding the effects of our racists society, does not help anyone.
That’s why I bought myself a bunch of books on racism ( & sexism) I started to read (or listen to) one of these books every month.
Racism

• Hallo witte mensen: Anousha Nzume
• How to be less stupid about race: Crystal M. Fleming
• Waarom ik niet meer met witte mensen over racisme praat: Reni Eddo-Lodge
• Black Feminist thought: Collins
• Wit is ook een kleur: Sunny Bergman
• The death and life of great american cities: Jane Jacobs
• African-American Athletes Who Made History: Louis Moore
• In Search of Black History with Bonnie Greer
• Code Girls: Liza Mundy
• White fragility: Robin DiAngelo
  this book has also it’s critics
• Eloquent Rage: Britney Cooper
• How to be an antiracists: Ibram X Kendi
• Weapons of math destruction: Cathy O’Neil
  the effect of big data and how that creates also racist AI
• Our Harlem: Chef Marcus Samuelsson ode to harlem
• Technically Wrong: Sara Wachter-Boettcher
• Talking to strangers: Malcolm Gladwell
  Not on racism, yet at the same time because Malcolm shows us we treat strangers different, it also talks about effects of having different races now understanding each other.
• Harassers are nice to me, and probably to you
• I’m white
• 365 dagen Nederlander (Naeeda Aurangzeb)
• The Tyranny of Merit (Michale Sandel)
• Programmed Inequality Mar Hicks
• Automating Inequality Virginia Eubanks
• The half has never been told Edward Baptist
• Why do so many incompetent men become leaders Tomas Chamorro
• Weapons of Math Destruction Cathy O’Neil
• On being Included: Racism and diversity in Intitutional Life Sara Ahmed
• The trouble with diversity Walter Benn Michaels
• 
  LGBQTI
• How to Affirm the People in your Life Who Use Multiple Sets of Pronouns
• A Guide To Gender Identity Terms
• Faq Gender Mandy Woelkens & Thorn De Vries

Women

• Beaty Sick: Renee Engeln
• invisible women: caroline Criado Perez
  Although this last book does not talk about black people it’ talks about how we miss the data to take good decisions that takes women into consideration. While listening to this book, I was at the same time shocked, and wondering, what about data about black people?
  At the same time, know that while Caroline shows problems with data, she is also ignoring trans people and doing a disservice  to our community by ignoring another big chunk.
• The Right to Sex: Feminism in the 21 century (Amia Srinivasan)

Blind and visually impaired people

• 6 tips om je sociale media leesbaarder te maken voor mensen met een beperking 

Diversity

• Better Allies (Karen Catlin)
• Good Guys (David Smith, Brad Johnson)
• Jam Cultures (Jitsle Kramer)
• De zeven vinkjes (hoe mannen zoals ik de baas spelen) (Joris Luyendijk)

Poverity

I want to add a collect a list of books on understanding poverty.

If you are non-white and you can advise me other great books, please let me know.

If you want to find more resources, go check:

White Guyde To The Galaxy

Save the Tears: White Woman’s Guide

 

At the bottom of my own bookpage, you can find all the bookslists I have gathered since 2010.
Full transparency: most links on these list use amazon affiliates links.