Identity: anti-racism reading and resources

The Basics

Overview Race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, language and more shape how we see ourselves and how the world treats us. Talking about identity honestly helps us understand our own experiences and make room for everyone else’s. None of us fits in just one box.

Why this matters, in three numbers.

76% of Black adults say being Black is extremely or very important to how they think about themselves. (Pew Research Center (2022))
Black women's hair is 2.5 times more likely to be seen as unprofessional, and about two-thirds of Black women change their hair for a job interview. (2023 CROWN Workplace Research Study (Dove and LinkedIn))
33.8 million people in the U.S. identified as more than one race in 2020, up 276% from 9 million in 2010. (U.S. Census Bureau)

Three words that come up again and again on this topic. See all of our key terminology >

Colorism — Discrimination that favors lighter skin over darker skin, including within the same racial or ethnic group.
Ethnicity — A shared identity based on culture, like language, religion, traditions and ancestry.
Internalized Oppression — Taking in the negative messages a society sends about your own group and believing them about yourself.

Three things you can do this month.

Call Congress to pass the CROWN Act. The CROWN Act of 2025 (H.R. 1638 / S. 751) would ban discrimination against natural hair and protective styles like braids, locs and twists at work and school. It has 84 House cosponsors but is still stuck in committee. Say: "I'm a constituent, and I want you to support the CROWN Act so no one loses a job or a school day over their hair."
Give to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute. This Black trans-led group protects and defends the human rights of Black transgender people. A gift supports its leadership and organizing programs.
Push for Indigenous Peoples' Day on Oct. 12. Ask your school, workplace or city council to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day this year. IllumiNative's free guide has talking points and steps.

Why the “B” in Black is Capitalized
Terms Capitalizing “Black” when referring to people in a racial, ethnic, or cultural context is to make language more inclusive and accurate.
Nicole Cardoza Aug 15, 2023
Unpacking the Misogynoir and Violence against Black Women
For Black women and girls, incidences of violence and hate, informed by misogynoir, become a throughline to each of our lives.
Nicole Cardoza Nov 20, 2023
Seeking Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Unresolved cases like Mika Josephine Westwolf underscores the lack of attention and justice given to missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Dominique Stewart Oct 17, 2023
Drag 101: What is Drag?
Hysteria about drag performers “grooming” children is part of a coordinated campaign to eliminate LGBTQ+ people in public life.
Andrew Lee Jun 20, 2023
What is Gender-Affirming Care?
Dozens of anti-trans laws have been passed recently, with many banning gender-affirming care for youth.
Andrew Lee May 30, 2023
Latinos, Latines, or Latinxs: How to Navigate Gender-Inclusive Spanish
Gender-inclusive language in Spanish, like Latinx and Latine, comes from queer, feminist, and decolonial movements aimed at inclusion and liberation.
Alicia Frausto May 27, 2022

These groups are led by people of color and work on identity every day. Follow them for updates and ways to help.

National Black Justice Coalition Civil rights group for Black LGBTQ+ and same-gender-loving people. Visit their website, and follow @nbjconthemove on Instagram to get updates in your newsfeed.
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance Network of LGBTQ Asian American and Pacific Islander groups. Visit their website, and follow @nqapia on Instagram to get updates in your newsfeed.
Define American Uses stories and culture to shift how we talk about immigrants. Visit their website, and follow @defineamerican on Instagram to get updates in your newsfeed.

Organizers, scholars and journalists who know this topic. Follow them to keep learning.

Kimberlé Crenshaw Law professor who coined "intersectionality". She explains how race, gender and other identities overlap, and leads the #SayHerName campaign for Black women killed by police. Follow @kimberlecrenshaw on Instagram.
Raquel Willis Black trans writer and organizer. She writes and organizes on Black trans liberation and how identity shapes who gets protected. Follow @raquel_willis on Instagram.
Imani Perry Scholar and National Book Award-winning author. She writes beautifully about Black culture, the South and what it means to belong. Follow @imaniperry on Instagram.

Independent newsrooms and newsletters that cover identity often. Read and donate if you can!

The Emancipator. Essays and reporting on race, identity and racial justice. Follow @the_emancipator on Instagram.
The 19th. Nonprofit newsroom on gender, LGBTQ+ issues, race and policy. Follow @19thnews on Instagram.
ICT (Indian Country Today). Native news on identity, sovereignty and community life. Follow @indiancountrytoday on Instagram.
Reckoning with Raquel Willis. Culture and news from a Black, queer, trans writer and activist. Follow @raquel_willis on Instagram.
Red, White and Brown. News and culture through a South Asian American lens. Follow @redwhiteandbrown_ on Instagram.
The Latino Newsletter. Julio Ricardo Varela's nonprofit news on Latino life in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Follow @thelatinonewsletter on Instagram.

A book, a film and a podcast by creators of color to go deeper.

Read: So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. A clear, practical guide to talking honestly about race, privilege and identity with the people in your life.
Watch: Black Is... Black Ain't by Marlon Riggs. Riggs's final film asks who gets to define Blackness, across gender, sexuality, class and skin color.
Listen: Code Switch by NPR. Journalists of color dig into how race and identity show up in everyday life.

Not sure how to bring this up with family or coworkers? Try one of these.

Which part of who you are do you think people notice first, and is it the part that matters most to you?
Has anyone ever told you to change your hair, name or accent to fit in at work or school?
What did our family teach us about our race or culture growing up, and what did they leave out?

ps – this is a community-created guide that is updated often. Want to make changes/corrections? Complete this form.