How to Be Antifa

Why We Read These Books

In October 2025, Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring “Antifa” a domestic terrorist organization. Days later, NSPM-7 expanded that order — directing federal agencies to surveil, target, and disrupt anyone associated with antifascism.

These moves are not about safety; they’re about criminalizing dissent and erasing a proud, deeply American tradition: ordinary people standing up to authoritarianism.

The Antifascist Book Club exists to counter that narrative. These books help readers:

• Understand fascism’s methods,

• Learn how Americans have historically fought it,

• Build lawful, community-based strategies to resist authoritarian overreach.

This is not a list about chaos or partisanship. It’s a guide to civic defense, solidarity, and democratic responsibility.

How to Be Antifa Core Curriculum

Learn the history, principles, and practice of antifascism.

Five essential works that teach what antifascism is — and how to practice it ethically, strategically, and effectively.

1. Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook – Dr. Mark Bray

Bray’s book is the clearest modern explanation of what antifascism actually means. He traces the movement from early 20th-century Europe to contemporary America, clarifying tactics, misconceptions, and moral frameworks. The book includes historical case studies, interviews with organizers, and analysis of how communities resist fascist movements long before they become state power.

Far-right actors targeted Bray intensely following the release of this book, ultimately forcing him into hiding in 2025. That persecution underscores the book’s relevance — and the threat posed by honest scholarship.

2. The U.S. Antifascism Reader – edited by Bill Mullen & Christopher Vials

This anthology is essential for grounding antifascism in American history — not mythology. It includes speeches, essays, and archival materials from WWII veterans, Black freedom leaders, labor organizers, clergy, and community defenders who confronted fascist and proto-fascist movements at home.

The Reader dismantles the lie that antifascism is foreign or fringe. It shows that Americans have been fighting fascists for a century — in uniform, in churches, in workplaces, and in the streets.

3. How to Stop Fascism: History, Ideology, Resistance – Paul Mason

Mason connects history to strategy. Rather than treating fascism as an artifact of the past, he demonstrates how digital propaganda, reactionary politics, and economic fragmentation are creating modern pathways to authoritarianism.

His work is especially useful for readers who want to understand mass psychology, movement-building, and how democratic coalitions form and fracture. Mason offers practical, nonviolent strategies for building resilient communities capable of resisting the slide toward authoritarianism.

4. American Antifa: The Tactics, Culture, and Practice of Militant Anti-Fascism – Matthew N. Lyons

Lyons examines contemporary antifascist practice in the United States with nuance and rigor. He breaks down what antifascists actually do — from research and monitoring to de-escalation work and community protection.

The book clarifies the difference between:

• mythic portrayals of “Antifa” pushed by right-wing media, and

• real antifascist organizing, which is often quiet, local, and focused on community safety.

Lyons also explores ethical debates within antifascist communities, helping readers understand how movements make decisions about tactics under pressure.

5. The Black Antifascist Tradition – Jeanelle K. Hope

Hope’s work reframes antifascism by centering the Black freedom struggle — arguably the longest-running antifascist movement in American history. She connects:

• slave rebellions,

• anti-lynching campaigns,

• civil rights organizing,

• Black Power movements,

• and present-day community defense efforts.

By showing how Black communities have resisted state violence, white supremacy, and authoritarian politics for generations, Hope provides the moral and historical backbone of American antifascism.

How-To Antifascist Zines

Free materials for clubs, classrooms, and local organizers.

Zines (pronounced zeens) are short, DIY booklets—usually a few pages, easily printed at home, folded, and stapled. They’ve long been used by movements, artists, and educators because they’re cheap, fast to produce, and easy to distribute in person.

These short, accessible zines are powerful tools for turning antifascist principles into practical, everyday action. They’re ideal for book clubs, neighborhood groups, classrooms, or anyone beginning to build community-based democratic defense.

• “40 Ways to Fight Fascists” — Spencer Sunshine

  • A widely circulated, highly practical toolkit outlining concrete antifascist actions. It covers skills like monitoring far‑right activity, documenting incidents, building local coalitions, supporting targeted communities, reducing interpersonal harm, and keeping organizing efforts grounded in safety and solidarity. Its companion online version adds context, examples, and guidance for adapting tactics to different communities.

• Don’t Just Do Nothing — It’s Going Down

  • A concise, actionable guide for people who want to translate outrage into organized, constructive work. This zine emphasizes lawful, nonviolent forms of community defense, mutual aid, bystander intervention, and strategic preparation. It’s especially useful for groups meeting in person, since it can be printed, folded, and distributed at events or meetings.

Together, these tools help groups develop safer, smarter, and more cohesive antifascist practices — grounding theory in everyday action and equipping newcomers with steps they can take immediately.

How to Use This List

1. Download VFF’s free Leader Guide for complete instructions on organizing your Antifascist Book Club, hosting discussions, protecting your group, and connecting with others. The Leader Guide includes the foundational reading list that explains what fascism is, so you can pair that knowledge with this how-to list.

2. Pick one core title from the to begin your study — or follow the order above.

3. Share your reflections on social media and tag #AntifascistBookClub to connect with the movement nationwide.

Closing Note

Antifascism is not terrorism — it’s patriotism.
It’s the continuation of the same moral fight our grandparents waged in uniform against tyranny.
By reading these books, you join that fight — not with violence, but with vigilance, solidarity, and truth.