Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s books have become required reading throughout the last decade and we are thrilled that he will be joining me in conversation in a special webinar, “How to be antiracist in the authoritarian age” on September 28 at 8 pm ET to talk with us about his latest book and what our antiracism work looks like in 2026 and beyond.
Over the years, the terrain in the fight for racial justice has shifted dramatically. During the racial justice uprisings in Ferguson in 2016 and then the summer of 2020, Dr. Kendi’s first two books, Stamped From the Beginning and How to Be Antiracist were crucial guides through those particular political moments. They helped millions– especially newly-activated people– ground in the history of this country’s racist legacy and gave millions of people practical tools on how to show up as an anti-racist.
His latest book, Chain of Ideas: the Roots of Our Authoritarian Age, is a similar intervention into this political time of rapid authoritarian consolidation in the US and across the globe. It details the startling effectiveness of the use of the racist “Great Replacement Theory” at the heart of global politics and the “chain of ideas” that authoritarians have built to create the conditions for authoritarianism to thrive.
Spoiler alert– his research confirms what we know at SURJ: authoritarians rely on racism to convince white people (and other majority groups) to support their regime. Dr. Kendi’s book contains important lessons for white antiracists about the history and psychology around why authoritarianism is appealing to white people, and what we can do to combat it.
Can you join us on this powerful call and then invite a friend?