The road to successful activism is often paved with the wisdom and insights found in the pages of the most influential books on the subject. With countless voices advocating for change throughout history, it's no surprise that a wealth of knowledge and experience is available for those seeking to create a more just and equitable world. In this blog post, we present a carefully curated list of 50 essential reads that will inspire, educate, and empower both seasoned and budding activists alike.
One such impactful book is Micah White's "The End of Protest: A New Playbook for Revolution." As the co-creator of the Occupy Wall Street movement, White delves into the changing landscape of activism and offers a fresh perspective on the future of protests. Drawing from his extensive experience and the lessons learned from the Occupy movement, White proposes innovative tactics and strategies for activists to adopt in order to effectively challenge power structures and bring about lasting change. This thought-provoking read is just one of the many transformative works featured in our list that will undoubtedly equip activists with the knowledge and inspiration to make a difference in today's world. As you explore these seminal books, we hope you'll find the tools, motivation, and guidance necessary to effectively fight for the causes you hold dear.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley
The End of Protest: A New Playbook for Revolution by Micah White
Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky
The Power of Non-Violence by Richard Gregg
The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon
Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire
Freedom's Daughter: The Unsung Heroines of the Civil Rights Movement by Lynne Olson
Why We Can't Wait by Martin Luther King Jr.
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
The Strategy of Nonviolent Direct Action by Gene Sharp
No Shortcuts: Organizing for Power in the New Gilded Age by Jane McAlevey
Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau
A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
The Making of Black Lives Matter by Christopher J. Lebron
The Anatomy of Revolution by Crane Brinton
This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa
The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
The Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater
The Coming Insurrection by The Invisible Committee
Women, Race, & Class by Angela Davis
The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle by Lillian Faderman
The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements by Eric Hoffer
The Ecology of Freedom: The Emergence and Dissolution of Hierarchy by Murray Bookchin
Blueprint for Revolution by Srdja Popovic and Matthew Miller
The Origins of the Women's Rights Movement by Eleanor Flexner
Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde
Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
Direct Action: Protest and the Reinvention of American Radicalism by L.A. Kauffman
How We Fight White Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance edited by Akiba Solomon and Kenrya Rankin
Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
The Occupy Handbook edited by Janet Byrne
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Davis
The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks
The Condition of the Working Class in England by Friedrich Engels
The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good by William Easterly
The Rebel: An Essay on Man in Revolt by Albert Camus
The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex edited by INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap by Matt Taibbi
The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
We Are the Weather Makers: The History of Climate Change by Tim Flannery
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein
The Activist's Handbook: A Primer by Randy Shaw
Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Davis
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder
The Zapatista Reader edited by Tom Hayden
Freedom is an Endless Meeting: Democracy in American Social Movements by Francesca Polletta