University Letter

UND's faculty and staff newsletter

‘How to Be an Antiracist’ campuswide book study begins Sept. 14

This fall, the Teaching Transformation and Development Academy (TTaDA) will be leading a campus-wide faculty, staff, administrator and GTA book study on How to be an Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi.

Praised by the New York Times as “The most courageous book to date on the problem of race in the Western mind,” Kendi’s groundbreaking work provides an essential counterpoint in the national conversation about race and resonates in this collective moment of reckoning. The term Kendi introduces—being an anti-racist—sets forth the idea that people can either be racist or anti-racist, and that there is no in-between. Racists, he argues, are people who support racist policies through their actions, inactions or ideas; anti-racists actively confront racial inequalities. Being neutral isn’t enough. Dr. Kendi urges us to actively combat racist systems and policies, and provides tools to do so. We hope you will join us for this important conversation.

Dr. Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities and the Founding Director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research as well as a recipient of the National Book Award (in 2016 for Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America), a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a contributor at The Atlantic and a CBS News correspondent.

We will begin the book study with a large virtual meeting over Zoom, then break into smaller groups (approx. 12-15 participants) over Zoom to encompass the whole book, four two five chapters at a time, and end with a final virtual discussion and wrap up (see schedule below).

  • Monday, Sept. 14, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Large Virtual Kick Off Zoom Meeting
  • Week of Sept. 28, Chapters 1-4 – small groups meet via Zoom
  • Week of Oct. 12, Chapters 5-8 – small groups meet via Zoom
  • Week of Oct. 26, Chapters 9-13 – small groups meet via Zoom
  • Week of Nov. 9, Chapters 14-18 – small groups meet via Zoom
  • Wednesday Nov. 18, 3-4:30 p.m., book read wrap up and next steps

Please register for the book read and the corresponding small group discussions. There is a limited number of spots available for each cohort so we encourage you to register quickly. Books are provided by TTaDA and will only be sent to UND Inter Department stop numbers.