What I'm Reading: "A Different Mirror" by Ronald Takaki

Around the 2016 election, Christian rapper Lecrae tweeted a list of books that have been helpful to his white friends in understanding the African-American experience and continued racism we see in the United States today. I've been reading a lot on the topic of race/ethnicity myself so I decided to chip away at his recommended book list over time.

Books that have helped my white friends "get it." pic.twitter.com/iLQin56wkW

— Lecrae (@lecrae) November 12, 2016

This month I've been working through a masterpiece called A Different Mirror by Ronald Takaki, who was "an American academic, historian, ethnographer and author.^[1]" At 561 pages, Takaki's book A Different Mirror is a very in-depth look at the history of Native Americans, African Americans, Mexicans, Japanese, Chinese, Irish, and Jewish people in America. Takaki shines a light on the many challenges each group has faced due to widespread racism throughout American history. The book is a curated compilation of historical interviews, writings, research, and analysis. It's seriously the kind of book that's worth buying just for the high-quality citations throughout.

Lecrae's recommendation led me to this book which I now commend to you. A Different Mirror has been one of the most helpful books I've ever read and it gave me a historical perspective that our public desperately needs today. (If you so decide to read it, let me know. I'd love to hear your take on it!)

A note from Matt:

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