A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kendi, I. X., & Reynolds, J. (2020). Stamped racism, antiracism, and you. Little, Brown and Company.
B. PLOT SUMMARY
Stamped is a young adult "remix" of another book originally written by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi called Stamped from the Beginning. In this version, Jason Reynolds describes the origins and history of racism in America, starting all the way with how these ideas began in the first place. He starts right off explaining how this isn't a history book in the sense of the term that most are used to. Reynolds breaks the book into five sections, each detailing a specific time period in history. The sections cover racism's spread, not only within the United States but globally as well. It focuses on the origins of slavery and how many people fought to keep that institution alive for hundreds of years. Following the end of the Civil War, Reynolds addresses and critiques many of the names we come to think of when discussing racism and the fight for equality in throughout the early portion of the 20th century - Du Bois, Washington, Garvey, Baldwin, King, Malcolm, and Angela Davis.
Reynolds continues on through the Civil Rights Movement, and eventually reaches the end of the 20th-century and key political figures such as Ronald Reagan, both Bush's, and Bill Clinton. The War on Drugs, the rise of rap and hip hop, and the Rodney King riots are all covered, and much is said about how, even though bills and laws continue to be passed, not much has changed concerning race in this country. He ends the book acknowledging President Obama and the wave of hope that came with his presidency. And while he had true antiracist movements throughout his time at the helm, he often settled for an assimilationist approach towards equality in America.
C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book was a not history history book, according to Reynolds, and that description could not have been more accurate. Reading "history" through a different lense was incredibly eye-opening, but not entirely surprising. There were things I had never been taught; things I had been taught incorrectly; things I had been taught and remembered; and things, when reframed, made much more sense after reading this book. It was really interesting to read about some of the African American "heroes" that we are reminded about each February - Du Bois, Washington, Douglass - and how differently someone with an antiracist mindset felt about each of them. These figures were always propped up and spoken about so positively in my experiences that I never even questioned how non-white people viewed these men. But considering that these people were propped up and hailed by white America as heroes of the antiracist movement in America, while other figures like Malcolm X are always portrayed in a negative light as being too violent or angry, I am not surprised. Even hearing Reynold's thoughts on literature and authors like Stowe and Lee, who I had always assumed were viewed in a positive light, made more sense after having things framed in a different way.
I also greatly appreciated Reynolds focus on women and their role in the antiracist movement. I had heard of Angela Davis before, but no one had highlighted her fight, her struggles, and her achievements quite like Reynolds does here. I think that influential women are often left out of the conversation when discussing America's history, and that seems to ring true with the antiracist movement as well. We learn about Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks frequently, but so many other women discussed in this book deserve recognition for their part in fighting racism as well. I think this is an important book, and I think that Reynolds remixing a book that was intended for adults to make it more accessible for younger readers is a trend that needs to continue. So often our younger readers want to educate themselves about their histories and the people that have shaped the world as we know it today, but these books are often written at such a level that makes reading them difficult. Stamped's conversational tone made it feel as though Reynolds was in the room simply telling you a story about how much of what you learned in school and through the media were inaccurate or downright untrue. I hope Reynolds continue to remix other influential works for younger audiences, and I hope it is a trend that other authors consider as well.
Since this was a non-fiction book, it didn't have any characters that needed to be evaluated for cultural accuracy and the hunt for cultural markers was somewhat different in this text. It wasn't up for me to decide or consider whether what I was reading was a fair representation of the culture being displayed - I simply sat back and took in information that I had not often considered. I know this book upset a lot of people (have you read the Amazon reviews? Yikes.) but I wanted to read this with an open mind and the awareness that I could really learn a lot by seeing history through different eyes. As a white man, I think it would be too easy to dismiss much of what is in here, the same way that racists have dismissed similar literature and people throughout history. I've brought this text (and others I have read covering antiracism) up with people in my circle, and many of them are dismissive of the ideas brought up in them. Much of the same rhetoric used throughout history to tiptoe around the subject of racism (those phrases thrown around as thinly veiled racism) come up again and again. And parts of me want to just agree with those who do not share these viewpoints and move on to the next topic of conversation. But I don't think that's what the authors of this book want. I think antiracism is speaking up for these ideas, for being exposed to thinking that is different than yours and standing up for people who have been dismissed and marginalized for generations. Simply reading these texts is not going to be enough. The way to change the topic of race and race relations in this country is to actively fight against racism, even if you are forced to have tough conversations with people you have been close with your entire life. Because until we as a country can acknowledge our shortcomings and, as a collective whole, work on restoring the trust that has eroded between those who have the power and those who have gone without for so long, nothing is going to change.
D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
"An amazingly timely and stunningly accessible manifesto for young people....At times funny, at times somber but always packed with relevant information that is at once thoughtful and spot-on, Stamped is the book I wish I had as a young person and am so grateful my own children have now."
―Jacqueline Woodson, bestselling and National Book Award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming
"Reynolds's engaging, clear prose shines a light on difficult and confusing subjects....This is no easy feat."
―The New York Times Book Review
"Readers who want to truly understand how deeply embedded racism is in the very fabric of the U.S., its history, and its systems will come away educated and enlightened. Worthy of inclusion in every home and in curricula and libraries everywhere. Impressive and much needed."
―Kirkus Reviews, starred review
E. CONNECTIONS
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