by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz; adapted by Jean Mendoza & Debbie Reese

In our antiracist efforts to dismantle white supremacy, we have to also look at this country's relationship with its Indigenous communities. Both Black and Indigenous people have suffered under white-led systems of power for centuries. Founders of "The BIPOC Project" use the term to "highlight the unique relationship to Whiteness that Indigenous and Black (African Americans) people have, which shapes the experiences of and relationship to white supremacy for all people of color within a U.S. context." BIPOC (pronounced "buy-pock") stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

To learn more about our country's Indigenous heritage, I recommend checking out this 2019 edition, adapted from Dunbar-Ortiz's 2014 original work. It's geared towards young adults, but does a wonderful job of making the information accessible for teens as well as adults in presenting a history of the United States told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples. The collected resources present a thorough new narrative that challenges many of our traditional American myths as well as discussion points that will help you think critically about your own place in history.

See the Jones Library Antiracism Book List for recommended titles for all ages