In the fight against racism, don’t forget the power of fiction

If we limit ourselves to just reading non-fiction books on race-related issues, we miss a huge chance to educate ourselves about the viewpoints and experiences of others

Protests across the US have supported Black Lives Matter after the death of George Floyd (AFP)

It’s a natural instinct, when trying to better oneself, to turn to books. Knowledge is power. Books contain knowledge. They’re a chance to learn and reflect, and perhaps come out on the other side having experienced the beginning of personal change.

It’s entirely understandable, then, that in the wake of a wave of protests against racism and police brutality across the US, lists of anti-racist books began appearing on multiple platforms. People have been purchasing them in droves, too: on Thursday last week, eight out of the top 10 best-selling books on Amazon were non-fiction titles addressing topics such as racism, race relations and racial history.