As the early days of summer are fast upon us, we, like many of you, are looking forward to slowing down the usual routine, taking some time to reconnect with family, friends, and ourselves. And this includes diving into our summer reading list! Finding the right books to help see things from a different perspective while supporting a DEI journey from both a personal and professional perspective can be a daunting task.
So to help you get on track we’ve put together our own list of book recommendations – a good mix of great reads that will surely inspire, enlighten, and, of course, make you think. Keep reading for our summer reading list recommendations.
- Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin R. R. Banaji
- We’ve Got This by Ritu Bhasin
- Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mez
- The Waymakers: Clearing the Path to Workplace Equity with Competence and Confidence by Tara Jaye Frank
- Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel by Bonnie Garmus
- I’m Tired of Racism: True Stories of Existing While Black by Sharon Hurley Hall
- White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How to Do Better by Regina Jackson and Saira Rao
- Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
- The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
- I’m Not Yelling: A Black Woman’s Guide to Navigating the Workplace by Elizabeth Leiba
- Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Pie: Conversations with My White Friends about Race by William T. Lewis
- The Loudest Duck: Moving Beyond Diversity while Embracing Differences to Achieve Success at Work by Laura A. Liswood
- That Bird Has My Wings: The Autobiography of an Innocent Man on Death Row by Jarvis Jay Masters
- Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America’s Heartland by Jonathan M. Metzl
- The Boldly Inclusive Leader: Transform Your Workplace (and the World) by Valuing the Differences Within by Minette Norman
- Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad
- The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
- Men We Reaped: A Memoir by Jesmyn Ward
- DEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing It Right by Lily Zheng
And of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t include Vernā’s 2 books—a must-read for anyone serious about creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
- Moving Diversity Forward: How to Go From Well-Meaning to Well-Doing
- What if I Say the Wrong Thing?: 25 Habits for Culturally Effective People
Happy reading and Happy summer everyone!