Professional Book Recommendations
Building our capacity as equity leaders
As an Equity Specialist, I was often asked for professional book recommendations for both book studies and individual professional learning. Listed below are four of my current favorites (I might recommend others later after fully finishing them) that I have recommended for various reasons. Some are specific to educators and others are great for anyone.
The Racial Healing Handbook: Practical Activities to Help You Challenge Privilege, Confront Systemic Racism & Engage in Collective Healing by Anneliese A. Singh, PhD, LPC
This is my top recommendation for anyone wanting to develop their equity leadership, as well as for anyone feeling pulled towards racial healing in particular. Each chapter provides a concept overview and reflections for both White people and People of Color (a book that authentically presents both can be difficult to find). Overall, the book guides you through unlearning socialization of racism and building skills to move towards collective healing and transformation. Some topics include exploring racial identity development, unpacking internalized racism (for everyone), and understanding the impacts of intersectionality.
Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students by Zaretta Hammond
I’ve quoted this book in many essays so far. Notably, this is where “Levels of Culture” comes from in my most-read essays of 2024. However, most of the book makes connections between neuroscience and how culture impacts our brain’s programming. Hammond uses these connections to give practical ways to support dependent learners in becoming independent learners through instructional partnership. If you’ve ever heard of the concept, “Warm Demander Teacher,” it comes from this book.
What If I Say the Wrong Thing? 25 Habits for Culturally Effective People by Vernā A. Myers
This is the book I’ve recommended most frequently for book studies because of how short and accessible it is. The book is small (literally compact) and gives short, packed ways to build skills in order to develop culturally effective habits. Each habit gives a culturally ineffective example, then shares to-the-point ways to build culturally effective habits. Reading about these habits is one thing; building them is another. 🙂
Street Data: A Next Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation by Shane Safir & Jamila Dugan
This is another book I’ve quoted frequently in other essays. This quote from the back of the book describes it well: “Street Data reminds us that what is measurable is not the same as what is valuable and that data can be humanizing, liberating, and healing.” Among other topics, the book covers how to avoid equity traps & tropes, types of data and their appropriate uses, an agency framework (that was paradigm-shifting for me when I first read it), and a framework for calling people in and up to equity. In my opinion, this last section alone is worth the price of the book.
What other books do you recommend?
In case you missed it - related essays from Cultivating Justice:
