Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

 

Reynolds, J. (2020).  Stamped from the beginning. NY, Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi is self-described as a "remix" of Kendi's Stamped From the Begining: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. It is a nonfiction overview of racism in the United States written in five sections. Each section provides an overview of historical events, but is "not a history book". Each section also centers around five main "characters"; Puritan minister Cotton Mather, President Thomas Jefferson, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, scholar WEB De Bois, and anti-prison activist Angela Davis. 

Section 1 focuses on the events that happened between 1415 and 1728. We are first introduced to Gomes Eanes de Zurara, a Portuguese chronicler of the Age of Discovery. He is referred to as the "world's first racist" because he used storytelling to erase the brutality of slavery and called it a noble duty to civilize and Christianize the "African savages." Later in the 17th century Cotton Mather, a Puritan minister in the English colonies, justifies slavery. Reynolds and Kendi state that this is due to Zurara's storytelling from the past. 

Section 2 discuss events that took place between 1743 and 1826 which was known as the Enlightenment Era. It was during this time that the United States was established and racism is still part of the Enlightenment philosophies. Reynolds and Kendi state that Thomas Jefferson and the founding fathers played a part in preventing black people from having rights and that black people have been "stamped" into the founding documents as send-class citizens. 

Section 3 (1826-1879) is about William Lloyd Garrison. Garrison was an abolitionist thinker that wrote the newspaper called the Liberator. He founded the America Anti-Slavery Society and published anti-slavery pamphlets. He is referred to as one of the first public-speaking, white antiracists. Because he was white, he was able to influence people that would not listen to black abolitionists. He is seen as the model for white antiracist behavior by Reynolds and Kendi.

Section 4 (1868-1963) In this section we are introduced to WEB DuBois and the term "uplift suasion".  WEB Du Bois is referred to as the king of "uplift suasion" because he encouraged black people to integrate into American society by competing with white people. According to Reynolds and Kendi, Du Bois thought himself exceptional and blamed black people for being mistreated. He is also said to exemplify how white supremacy and racism have been historically internalized by black people. 

Section 5 (1963-present) takes us up to current events. This section focuses on Angela Davis and her activist work. Davis' activism highlighted the contributions of black women in society. She thought that racism, sexism, capitalism, and heterosexism worked together to impact the oppression. She felt that everyone must work together for the liberation of all people. 

Being a social studies teacher, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I like how it was written in a "speaking to the reader" style. I learned about people and events that I had never learned about or taught about in school. This is a must-read for everyone!

"But I have to warn you: Scrolling will never be enough. Reposting will never be enough. Hashtagging will never be enough. Because hatred has a way of convincing us that half love is whole. What I mean by that is we--all of us--have to fight against performance and lean in to participation." p. 253