Reading List & References
Harvard-style references for every lesson of the Phoenix Rising system — the scholarly foundations of cultural liberation
System References
All references are formatted in Harvard style. Navigate by lesson using the buttons below, or scroll through the complete reading list.
System-Wide References
Foundational texts for the entire Phoenix Rising system
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Neequaye, E. and Dyer, J. (2026) Phoenix Rising: Anti-Racism Leadership System. London: Oxytocin House of Learning.
System Manual -
NHS England (2023) Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework. London: NHS England.
Policy Framework
The Phoenix Awakening
Lesson 1 — Foundations of awareness and somatic practice
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Stevenson, B. (2012) ‘We need to talk about an injustice’, TED Talk. Available at: ted.com (Accessed: March 2026).
TED Talk -
Van der Kolk, B. (2014) The Body Keeps the Score. New York: Penguin.
Book -
Dana, D. (2018) The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy. New York: W.W. Norton.
Book
The Masks We Wear
Lesson 2 — Identity, narrative, and the single story
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Adichie, C.N. (2009) ‘The danger of a single story’, TED Talk. Available at: ted.com (Accessed: March 2026).
TED Talk -
DeGruy, J. (2005) Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome. Portland: Joy DeGruy Publications.
Book -
Fanon, F. (1952) Black Skin, White Masks. Translated by C. Markmann. London: Pluto Press.
Book
Courage to Feel
Lesson 3 — Vulnerability, emotional courage, and somatic healing
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Brown, B. (2010) ‘The power of vulnerability’, TED Talk. Available at: ted.com (Accessed: March 2026).
TED Talk -
Menakem, R. (2017) My Grandmother’s Hands. Las Vegas: Central Recovery Press.
Book -
hooks, b. (2000) All About Love. New York: William Morrow.
Book
Power, Secrets, Speaking Truth
Lesson 4 — Power dynamics, psychological safety, and truth-telling
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Edmondson, A. (2018) The Fearless Organization. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.
Book -
Foucault, M. (1975) Discipline and Punish. Translated by A. Sheridan. London: Penguin.
Book -
Burke, A. (1984) ‘Racism and psychological disturbance among West Indians in Britain’, International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 30(1-2), pp. 50–68.
Journal Article
Rewriting the Rules
Lesson 5 — Intersectionality, systems thinking, and anti-racist praxis
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Crenshaw, K. (2016) ‘The urgency of intersectionality’, TED Talk. Available at: ted.com (Accessed: March 2026).
TED Talk -
Meadows, D. (2008) Thinking in Systems. White River Junction: Chelsea Green.
Book -
Kendi, I.X. (2019) How to Be an Antiracist. London: Bodley Head.
Book
Community as Medicine
Lesson 6 — Ubuntu, collective healing, and communal practice
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Tutu, D. (1999) No Future Without Forgiveness. New York: Doubleday.
Book -
Bryan, A. (2020) ‘Ubuntu and mental health: African philosophy in clinical practice’, Transcultural Psychiatry.
Journal Article -
Hickling, F.W. (2020) Owning Our Madness. Kingston: University of the West Indies Press.
Book
Collective Action
Lesson 7 — Allyship, solidarity, and organisational change
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DiAngelo, R. (2018) White Fragility. Boston: Beacon Press.
Book -
Freire, P. (1970) Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Translated by M. Ramos. London: Penguin.
Book -
Oluo, I. (2018) So You Want to Talk About Race. New York: Seal Press.
Book
The Liberators’ Covenant
Lesson 8 — Legacy, commitment, and liberatory leadership
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Lorde, A. (1984) Sister Outsider. Berkeley: Crossing Press.
Book -
Coates, T. (2015) Between the World and Me. New York: Spiegel & Grau.
Book -
Wilkerson, I. (2020) Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. New York: Random House.
Book
Cultural Knowledge Hub
The reading list provides the scholarly evidence base, whilst the Cultural Knowledge Hub holds the living cultural wisdom that animates the system. Together, they represent the twin pillars of the Phoenix Rising approach: rigorous scholarship and ancestral knowledge.
Explore the Cultural Knowledge Hub →
Discover the Adinkra symbols, African philosophical traditions, healing practices, and ancestral wisdom that form the cultural foundation of every reference in this reading list. The Hub brings theory to life through interactive exploration of Ubuntu, Sankofa, the Nguzo Saba, and more.
“Knowledge is only a rumour until it lives in the body.”