The National Book Award winning history of how racist ideas were created, spread, and deeply rooted in American society.
Some Americans insist that we’re living in a post-racial society. But racist thought is not just alive and well in America–it is more sophisticated and more insidious than ever. And as award-winning historian Ibram X. Kendi argues, racist ideas have a long and lingering history, one in which nearly every great American thinker is complicit.
In this deeply researched and fast-moving narrative, Kendi chronicles the entire story of anti-black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history. He uses the life stories of five major American intellectuals to drive this history: Puritan minister Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, W.E.B. Du Bois, and legendary activist Angela Davis.
As Kendi shows, racist ideas did not arise from ignorance or hatred. They were created to justify and rationalize deeply entrenched discriminatory policies and the nation’s racial inequities.
In shedding light on this history, Stamped from the Beginning offers us the tools we need to expose racist thinking. In the process, he gives us reason to hope.
Praise for Stamped from the Beginning:
“We often describe a wonderful book as ‘mind-blowing’ or ‘life-changing’ but I’ve found this rarely to actually be the case. I found both descriptions accurate for Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped from the Beginning… I will never look at racial discrimination again after reading this marvellous, ambitious, and clear-sighted book.” – George Saunders, Financial Times, Best Books of 2017
“Ambitious, well-researched and worth the time of anyone who wants to understand racism.” – Seattle Times
“A deep (and often disturbing) chronicling of how anti-black thinking has entrenched itself in the fabric of American society.” – The Atlantic
– Winner of the 2016 National Book Award for Nonfiction
– A New York Times Bestseller
– A Washington Post Bestseller
– Finalist for the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction
– Named one of the Best Books of the Year by the Boston Globe, – Washington Post, Chicago Review of Books, The Root, Buzzfeed, Bustle, and Entropy
Liz –
I’m a white woman trying to educate myself about racism in this country. If you truly want to do your part to end racism, please read this book. It will enlighten you and break you’re heart over and over again. It’s not an easy read. The book is a detailed accounting of history and the horrors of over 400 years of oppression. But, we owe it to our black brothers and sisters to learn their truth. Enough is enough. It’s time for change and this book will help you understand what black and brown people are fighting. 10 out of 10 recommend.
Suzee2 –
This book left me in tears. I had no idea. None of this was taught to me in school. The last section of the book was the most heartbreaking for me because it took place during my lifetime. I feel like I should have been more aware. The book introduced me to the concept of assimilation vs anti-racism. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around that. I read this on my kindle, but I think I need a paperback version that I can highlight and dog ear and reread to get a better grasp on some of the material. I’m having to look at things from a completely different perspective, which is hard but necessary.
George R. Schmidt –
I bought this book while reading Ibram Kendi’s, “How to be an Anti-racist.” I ended up reading “Stamped from the Beginning” before I finished the latter. This is an excellent historical tome. It gives you a thorough description of the evolution of racist and anti-racist ideas in American society since the founding of our nation. This is a scholarly work, so don’t expect to finish it in one day or even two. It presents a lot of thought-provoking ideas raised by people who have been at the forefront of our societal struggles surrounding the singular issue that has persisted and festered since the formation of our nation.
T. P. Moran –
I am stunned by the negative reviews. This book is a deep dive into the history of slavery, the men who justified it, and the supporting writing that declares blacks as ‘less than’. Webster defines racism as “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race”. Yet for some reviewers this simple concept is beyond their scope of understanding. I bought this book based on an activist who uncovered his own racist ideas from reading Dr. Kendi’s book. To understand the history of thought and writing and groups that over and over stated that blacks were less than whites is the begin the journey of uncovering one’s own racist thoughts and feeling toward many different cultures. Some will say that the next generation will not have racist ideas yet I do not believe this to be true. We will continue to hold every culture other than the one we are born into as different and that comparison is the soil from which the seeds of racism will flourish – unconsciously for some.
Lionel S. Taylor –
This book like the title says is a history of racist ideas in this country. The author does this by following the lives of 5 historical figures in American history. He starts from the beginning of the American colonies when racist ideas about Africans was beginning to be formed in Europe and the American colonies. The author contends that racism was not a result of the slave trade and slavery in Africa but were rather created to justify the treatment of Africans and Native Americans in the American colonies. Through the five parts of the book the reader finds out that while the terminology and basis of the racist beliefs change and modify it is stilled used to justify oppression and exploitation. One thing that I found especially interesting was how the author identified the different parts of the debate on race: Racist, Assimilationist and and Anti-racist. He also points out that these ideas can be held by anyone and often were held and deployed by people who were trying to combat racism. This shows that racist ideas are deeply ingrained in out culture and society among all races and ethnicity and it is by identifying this and the form these ideas take, they can be combated. I found this book especially interesting as it made me examine my own views on race and the inherent racism in my own ideas. What I found most interesting is how racist ideas and tropes are often used in combating racism making their efforts counterproductive. Despite it’s size, this book is a fast and easy read and I found myself experiencing a little nostalgia in the last chapters. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in American history or the history of race.
Jennifer –
Absolutely fascinating study of the origins of race as a social construct. Would highly recommend especially for those who have never experienced racism.
Charles W. Callahan –
Thorough, scholarly and persuasive. Readable and in fact a must read for anyone seriously approaching the history of racism in American and the way forward. I may not see the end of racism in my lifetime but Kendi has helped me to see the mountaintop in the distance.
Jennipher –
It took me a long time to read this. As a fiction lover, I had to set aside time to focus on this book, but when I did, I never regretted it. The diction is a little advanced, but still accessible for most readers. This is a well-researched piece of literature that makes me look forward to changing the world in my own way.
zonaphx –
I purchased the audiobook first and wanted the book so I could highlight and flag certain sections. The United States will never progress until we have a full and honest reckoning with the atrocity of slavery, the genocide and displacement of our indigenous peoples, and how throughout our history we have had an informal system of apartheid based on race and class.When we finally have a full reckoning with our past this will be one of the most important books ever written and will eventually become universally taught in schools.
Brian D. Jones –
After my first read I knew this book was important enough to read it a second time – even a third, fourth, fifth – as many times as necessary – to get it. And go back to it again even after getting it. That’s how important this book is for academics and activists.As Rev Dr William Barber (civil rights leader, founder of The Poor People’s Campaign) once responded when asked what his main recommendations were for young activists, Rev Barber said that If you are going to open your mouth with a loud voice in protest, then make sure you get the facts and statistics right, because they are on your side, but if you don’t know the facts, your loud voice will be nothing more than a loud, foolish voice and will not be heard. Dr Kendi’s work is a must read for all activists if they want their loud voices to be credible voices that push forward the cause of justice. Dr Kendi makes anti racism not just an academic question studied in the abstract but makes anti racism a necessity for every thinking, breathing human being.
OneTakeTu –
Wow. Just wow. The detail and breakdown of the entire American history of the diaspora is mind boggling.The bOok is lengthy but for good reason. Tossing facts around and giving multiple perspectives of similar time periods.I understood the basic concepts before reading…but definitely have a better understanding of why this whole trash system is the way it is…and why we still have to deal with certain things that I find disgusting.Highly recommend for anyone looking to get a grip on the timeline of our history and how all the pieces fit together.
G. Clark –
At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, this should be the anchor text for every US History class in every high school in America. This book, when read, seems to shift the Earth’s axis a bit. A must-read.
The Boss –
Dr Kendi hasn’t created new facts, but he has explained the truth so clearly and in a consistent manner that I understand more clearly than I have before. I grew up in a segregated southern community that was driven by racist ideas, but I had the advantage of parents who helped me identify that racism was wrong. The missing part was what to do about it, beyond simply trying not to behave in a racist way myself.The single most important new concept for me is assimilation. I certainly knew it was there and recognized bits and pieces, but without seeing it as a whole and destructive thing. One can only make effective changes when one understands what works and what doesn’t.My communities leaders have urged us to read Stamped from the Beginning and I’m grateful they did.
Brandy –
I wish I was a better writer so I could explain just what a valuable work this is. Every single American, no matter your gender or “race”, should read this. I learned so much, but it’s also a very interesting and well written book. I did not feel like I was reading a textbook. I stayed up late every night reading this, hard one to put down. And when you’re done, you feel this strong motivation to DO SOMETHING about it!
Wünderbar Mutti –
This is such an important book on a topic I’m embarrassed to admit that I knew little about. The history of racism is global, economic and new. While this book is long it reads really fast and I stayed up way to late on many nights eager to read a bit more. I learned so much and see history in a much clearer light now. I highly recommend this book for anyone curious about race.
Brenda629 –
I read this book for entertainment and knowledge. Stamped From the Beginning is about the racist history of Black people in the United States of America. It explains who began the racism, how racism was brought to the U.S., and the justifications used (to discriminate against African people and their descendants). The book is over 500 pages and it is worth reading. I found it difficult to put down. This book should be part of all high school’s curriculum. It is thought provoking.
jess –
Should be required reading in High School history across America; possibly the world. Most detailed account of the birth and growth of racist ideas to be written in modern times. The format, words and analysis is brilliant. Dr. Kendi not only shows racism in every corner it has found a home, but also includes the antiracist movement that has been oppressed since the first utterance of racist ideas.
Avalon EyeAvalon Eye –
The scholarship behind this book is impeccable and unimpeachable. It’s not the writing alone but the way of thinking it represents that is essential for our society’s survival, let alone our hope of moving it to a new level. Few if any died for believing the world is flat or that earth was the center of the solar system. Stamped From the Beginning reveals the roots of racist ideas to be equally false, but with centuries of abhorrent and deadly consequences. Read it, internalize it, share it.
Mark –
I learned more from this book than I did in K-12 history classes. If you’re shaky on your history, or wobble on political movements, this is the book for you. Dr. Kendi’s research and historical analysis is masterfully woven into a 600 page narrative that guides you through the history of the United States. What’s notable is that presidents, dates, and powerful people fade into the background — and the social trends and narratives come forward, showing you the systemic view of history rather than the “great man” view schools tend to take. This volume doubles as a historical narrative that is engaging and readable for non-historians, and a trusty reference volume packed with citations that re-reads well.If you don’t understand the history of race in America, and you don’t know where to start, read this.
A. H. Wagner –
About halfway through reading this book, I realized I was highlighting almost every single page and had to start color-coding my highlights so as to make a little more sense of why certain passages struck me—a visual testimony of how illuminating Stamped from the Beginning is. With a primary focus on racism toward African-Americans and people identified as Black, this book is a thoroughly researched, sweepingly comprehensive survey of racism from its first traceable roots in ancient Greece when Aristotle said Africans had “burnt faces” to the start of the African slave trade in 15th century Europe, to the first recorded slave ship arriving in colonial America in 1619, all the way through the Civil War, the Jim Crow laws, the 1960s Civil Rights movement, and up to the present day. In order to help readers navigate this extensive timeline, author Ibram X. Kendi divides the book into five parts, featuring one historical figure as a sort of tour guide or anchor for each part.Very few individuals or institutions mentioned in this book come off as completely free of racist thinking; even many abolitionists and civil rights activists are revealed to have held racist ideas that contradicted their cause. This made me realize the extent to which racism has ensnared the United States in its pernicious roots. In Stamped from the Beginning, Kendi presents two main ideas about racism that helped me understand its influence and progress over the centuries. First, he explains that “Hate and ignorance have not driven the history of racist ideas in America. Racist policies have driven the history of racist ideas in America.” The author admits, “I was taught the popular folktale of racism: that ignorant and hateful people had produced racist ideas, and that these racist people had instituted racist policies. But when I learned the motives behind the production of many of America’s most influentially racist ideas, it became quite obvious that this folktale, though sensible, was not based on a firm footing of historical evidence.” As Kendi explains further, “Racially discriminatory policies have usually sprung from economic, political, and cultural self-interests, self-interests that are constantly changing.” Now that I understand self-interest—not hate or ignorance—has been the driving factor behind racist policies, I can better understand why racism hasn’t died out with the Emancipation Proclamation or desegregation or any of the Civil Rights Acts passed in this country. Tragically, racism persists and continues to evolve according to the current self-interests of people and institutions in power. It’s why, after slavery was abolished, segregation and the Jim Crow laws rushed in to replace it, and long after segregation has been outlawed, African-Americans continue to be oppressed by disproportionate mass incarceration as well as disadvantaged by fewer, inferior housing and employment opportunities.Second, Kendi points out that racism is not simply a debate between those who support racist ideas and those who oppose racist ideas. Throughout history, three–not two–viewpoints on racism have persisted: “A group we can call segregationists has blamed Black people themselves for the racial disparities. A group we can call antiracists has pointed to racial discrimination. A group we can call assimilationists has tried to argue for both, saying that Black people and racial discrimination were to blame for racial disparities.” As much as I would like to believe I am firmly in the antiracist camp, reading this book made me realize I have held a lot of racist ideas from an assimilationist viewpoint that I need to correct. Kendi gives many examples of well-meaning civil rights activists, including some African-Americans, who upheld assimilationist ideas. Some persisted with these ideas their entire lives, others realized their error and later self-corrected to an antiracist viewpoint, and still others upheld both antiracist and assimilationist ideas, often not realizing the contradiction. Thus, a tragic pattern that has repeated itself throughout American history is the persistence of many assimilationists in seeking to abolish racist policies and ideas with the same flawed strategies that never work.Indeed, the African-American author admits, “Even though I am an African studies historian and have been tutored all my life in egalitarian spaces, I held racist notions of Black inferiority before researching and writing this book.” I think it’s crucially important that Kendi tells readers about his mistaken notions of race—not to make readers feel better about their own ignorance, but to demonstrate how deeply racist ideas have taken root in American culture. Hopefully this admission on the author’s part will ease readers out of their defensive mode and open their minds to the disturbing truth that racism is a lot more pervasive among us Americans than we would like to believe.If you want to understand exactly how racism took root in the United States and why it has persisted through the present day, if you are prepared for a very sobering, very painful, and often highly disturbing look at the many flaws, hypocrisies, and atrocities in the American notions of democracy, exceptionalism, and “liberty and justice for all,” then Stamped from the Beginning is a must-read. Ultimately, what the author conveys with copious examples is that “Black Americans’ history of oppression has made Black opportunities—not Black people—inferior.” An absolutely necessary emendation to the traditionally accepted canon of American history.
Kindle Customer –
Were there a time to read a sweeping, definitive and damning history of race and racism in America, these present times would not be it. Portraying a more than 400-year struggle for basic human freedom and decency is indictment enough of a country blind to its own hubris of racial hatred. But to present that indictment at the very moment we’re poised to start a second shooting war over it, must leave the author with an utter sense of hopelessness. That it doesn’t, means either Mr. Kendri is irredeemably naive, or sees something in his exhaustive review of race in America that I don’t. His expansive knowledge of the fundamental riddle of America makes me hope he’s right and I’m wrong. As a white man reading this, however, I’m left with a despair that Mr. Kendri’s hope is, in the final analysis, naive.
Kindle Customer –
This book opened my eyes to how we continue to treat black people differently because of the color of their skin. Everyone who believes in justice and fairness needs to read this book. If we are to succeed in the animal kingdom we need to learn how to get along!
Nick Mendez –
I have not reviewed many books on Amazon, but want to recommend Stamped from the Beginning rigorously and sincerely. At first, the scope of this work seems unimaginable, but then Mr. Kendi simply starts at the beginning and steadily traces the entire history of anti-black racist ideas from the start of the African slave trade in Portugal through the election of Barack Obama and subsequent projections of a “post-racial” America. A few things become increasingly clear: the perpetrators of these racist ideas cannot be educated away from them because THEY ARE AWARE, that espousing the virtues of “personal responsibility” is as old a tactic as slavery itself, and that the white perpetrators of racist ideas will only fight them when convinced it is in their self-interest. I learned an immense amount from Mr. Kendi’s book not just about my country’s own history, but its momentum. The multiple biographical accounts in this book serve to illustrate the insidiousness of racist ideas–many of America’s most celebrated civil rights figures sometimes dealt in assimilationist or segregationist theory themselves. This work also emotionally portrays the disappointment of many antiracist thinkers when their efforts to educate the country on the effects of racial discrimination are heard and then summarily ignored. But this book also left me hopeful, not because “we’ve made so much progress despite having a long way to go” but because by illuminating the pervasiveness and detailed evolution of racist ideas, Mr. Kendi charts a path forward. I feel, empowered with historical context, ready to convince members of my own community that ending racial discrimination is not just a profound revolutionary responsibility, but in all of our self interest.
Brett Larsen –
Should be required reading. The book thoroughly explains the underpinnings of racist thoughts, act, laws and policies from the beginning of America, and how they continue to oppress people today. Read it.
Emmett A. Coyne –
SFB is a compendium of historical ideas, issues, insights from the past to the very present. Leaves no stone unturned. For a tome of its heft, it is a page turner. As other reviewers noted the ease to read despite complexity of issues. Kendi’s talent is his clarity and conciseness. No rambling, tangents but brisk exposition.How I wish this were available when I undertook a masters program in African-American Studies! His one book work would have been much more substantive than many courses It is a veritable library.He causes one to reexamine one’s interpretations, understanding, mindset, especially of dominant terms in America discourse: racist, antiracist, segregation, assimilation. His is an offering of liberation.Kendi is even fresher than Ta Nehisi Coates. Would be interesting to experience Kendi and John McWhorter debate! As well as others.I identify what I call Precepts of Kendi:“Self-interest leads to racist policies, which lead to racist ideas leading to all the ignorance and hate.”“Antiracists should stop using self-sacrifice, uplift suasion, and educational persuasion.”“Individualizing White negativity and generalizing Black negativity.”“Imperfections that make Black people human, make Black people equal to all other imperfectly human groups.” (Imperfectly equal humanity)“Black people need to be their imperfect selves around White, around each other, around all people.”“The only thing wrong with Black people is that they think something is wrong with Black people.”“Blacks were already a moral people.”“The producers and and ignorers of racist policies know the facts. And yet they remain for the most part indifferent and unmoved.”His thorough investigation of racism in America is not simply another book on the subject, but a significantly upgraded work. It is not another paralysis of analysis. The author is young and has a vitality beyond his years. This work is but a harbinger of future, penetrating analysis. Stay tuned!While he lays out irrefutable facts he seems to imply that facts will not affect those of hardened arteries of the mind and heart. More of such need to die off as facts do not affect them. “My mind is made up; don’t confuse me with the facts.”Unfortunately, those who will take up and read will not be legion. Simply difficult to get even convinced, committed persons. But for us who do his work grounds us more to be more firmly rooted in humanity. Evolution of the mind as the body is a long, slow process.I would suggest a reader begin with his Epilogue.Pathetically, some will uncritically slander him as a racist when he is an authentic, enligtening humanist.
Daniel Atkins –
Another must have and read book
arthur v neis –
Kendi categorizes attitudes of race into three genres: segregationists (who blame black people themselves for racial disparities), assimilationists (who blame black people for failure to assimilate whiteness), antiracists (who blame others for their racist activities}. Net result is that all three continue to support white success and black failure.Beginning from Aristotle’s climate theory to justify Greek superiority over all non-Greeks, Kendi devotes an initial chapter to tracing racism through early European and Christian culture, noting “…the foundations of race and racists ideas were laid. And so were the foundations for egalitarianism, antiracism and antislavery laid in Greco-Roman antiquity….However, these antislavery and egalitarian champions did not accompany Aristotle and St. Paul into the modern era….” Kendi notes the Puritan adoption of racial superiority over all non-whites. John Cotton and Richard Mather leaders of the Puritans, imbedded the concepts of white superiority in the constitutions of the Colonies, of Harvard and Yale and other academic settings and preaching.Kendi develops the American history of racism around four other individuals who perpetuate, explain or experience racism viscerally: Thomas Jefferson, William Lloyd Garrison W.E.B. Du Bois and Angela Davis. As all historians, whether political or cultural , Kendi has only the focus of his current “lens” and thesis to interpret the lives and motives of others. His extensive use of direct quotations strengthens his thesis. Every “group” or “racial” group comprised many individuals, making generalizations difficult at best, but worthy for purposes of Kendi’s analysis.Kendi reverses common wisdom: “ignorance/hate does not create racist ideas, which in turn creates discrimination. Instead, racial discrimination creates racist ideas which creates ignorance and hate. “…this is the causal relationship driving American’s history of race relations.”A definitive starting point of contemporary writing to understand racism.
Red-Haired Ash –
Stamped From the Beginning discusses the history of racism and racist ideas in America. Kendi focuses on five main people who have made the biggest impact on racism and anti-racism in our history: Puritan minister Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, W.E.B. Du Bois, and legendary activist Angela Davis.“When men oppress their fellow-men, the oppressor ever finds, in the character of the oppressed, a full justification for his oppression.” Douglass, amazingly, summed up the history of racist ideas in a single sentence.” – (Fredrick Douglass)This was an incredibly powerful and educational book. I knew going into this book that the United States education system has failed at teaching the history of slavery, emancipation, Jim Crow, and the continued struggle. But it still amazed me at how much it doesn’t teach. With every single chapter I learned new things that should have been taught to me in school.While this is a very large book filled with history, it was an easy read. Normally I would have read this book in a few days but instead I stretched it out over a month and a half. I read, reflected, took notes, did more research and I still know that I have a lot to learn. My book is now covered in sticky notes and I know I will be rereading this in the future because I know I missed stuff.“That is what it truly means to think as an antiracist: to think there is nothing wrong with Black people, to think that racial groups are equal. There are lazy and unwise and harmful individuals of African ancestry. There are lazy and unwise and harmful individuals of European ancestry. There are industrious and wise and harmless individuals of European ancestry. There are industrious and wise and harmless individuals of African ancestry. But no racial group has ever had a monopoly on any type of human trait or gene—not now, not ever.”This book changed the way I viewed the history of the United States. So much of this history has been glossed over by the education system, and other history books. This book should be required reading for everyone especially since the education system won’t teach us the true history of the United States. All I can say is, READ THIS BOOK!
DDM –
Loved it! Bought a copy for all of my friends. After reading this you will look at everything you read differently. Glad I didn’t leave the planet before reading this!!I smile as I read other reviews — it’s funny how people will write a page long review about how they thought the book should have been written. How about — go write that book yourself instead of trying to define someone else and “their” work”. There is too much racism in the world to fit it in one book friends.It’s a fantastic book. I’m trying to decide when I will read it again and when I’ll give my kids the copy that I’ve already purchased for them.
Gayle –
How do we become racist? What are the sources of racist ideas? Through his extensive and in-depth historical research, Dr. Ibram Kendi reveals that racial hatred and ignorance is the result of racist policies, not the cause. Those in power — typically the white and wealthy — maintain their power by sowing racial hatred and ignorance again and again through the racist policies they put in place. From Cotton Mather to William Lloyd Garrison to Thomas Jefferson to W.E.B. DuBois to Angela Davis, we see how this pattern plays out. This is a book that should be required reading in all U.S. History courses. It is a perspective on history we too rarely read or learn about, but one we must understand, so that we can break the cycle.
E.S. Ruete –
Read just the prologue and your views on racism, but also on other messages of power and exclusion, will change forever.But don’t stop there. Reading year by year, idea by idea, voice by voice development of racism is more chilling than learning about the history of slavery and Jim Crow in high school history. The racism of both the supporters of slavery who spouted segregation but also of the abolitionists who spouted the more subtle racism of assimilation is examined in detail. You realize how much that we thought was anti-racist says that black people aren’t genetically different but can become like us if we teach them how, totally discounting the strength and beauty of African culture, the role of racism in creating the living conditions that we blame on black nature, and the inherent racism of white paternalism.And I apologize that I have been white for most of my life. This prevents me from having the precise focus on black racism that Prof. Kendi achieves. But it does allow me to find applications for Kendi’s approach in gender, religious, and LGBT oppression.
JLT –
“I decided to write a scholarly history that could be devoured by as many people as possible—without shortchanging the serious complexities—because racist ideas and their history have affected all of us. While historians in academia have become more accepting in recent decades of historians who write histories on the masses of Americans, historians are not nearly as accepting of those who write histories for the masses of Americans. Hopefully this will change.”EVERY page is filled with relevant information and a concise history of racial discrimination up to and including Barack Obama. A simple summation from me is impossible.He observes that whites are judged by their negative actions as individuals, and their brilliant successes as a race; the negative actions of blacks, however, are judged as typical of their race and their successes are attributable to “exceptional” individuals of their race. Is this not true?“There can be no doubt that the producers and defenders and ignorers of racist policies know the facts. And yet they remain for the most part indifferent and unmoved: indifferent to the need to pass sweeping legislation completely overhauling the enslaving justice system; unmoved in pushing for initiatives like fighting crime with more and better jobs; indifferent to calls to decriminalize drugs and find alternatives to prisons; unmoved in empowering local residents to hire and fire the officers policing their communities. They remain for the most part unwilling to pass grander legislation that re-envisions American race relations by fundamentally assuming that discrimination is behind the racial disparities (and not what’s wrong with Black folk), and by creating an agency that aggressively investigates the disparities and punishes conscious and unconscious discriminators.“
James H. Lee –
Professor Kendi’s fine study, which deservedly won a National Book Award, illuminates in a new way the history of racism in the US. Focusing on ideas rather than government policy, he documents the tenacity of an outlook that has stained the 400 year history of the American people. He begins with a simple, and I think unimpeachable, definition of racism: any argument or idea that attributes to an entire ethnic group intellectual or moral superiority or inferiority. Racists invariably explain these differences between ethnic groups as a product of biology, in an effort to shelter behind a scientific patina ideas that cannot survive rigorous scientific investigation.He organizes the book around five American thinkers, Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Dubois, and Angela Davis. In each section, he also discusses the ideas of contemporaries of these individuals, dividing people into one of three groups: segregationists (racists who blamed blacks for their own plight); assimilationists (whites and even some blacks who attributed inequality partially to environment but still accepted the racist idea that all blacks shared some responsibility for discrimination); antiracists, who rejected the notion that any type of inferiority could be associated with all African Americans.Kendi has written an angry book, as would any author sensitive to the devastating impact of America’s original sin. He shows how racist ideas, like the villain in contemporary horror movies, never suffer a final defeat. As soon as one explanation for alleged racial differences falls out of favor, a different one emerges from the (so far) undrainable swamp of prejudice to take its place. This resiliency demonstrates that racism does not stem from ignorance, but reflects the self-interest of those who benefit from the privileges conferred by supression of ethnic equality.The author’s anger does not target any specific group. Few of his subjects (including himself) escape unscathed from his sharp analysis. Probably the most surprising revelation of this book is the extent to which even fierce defenders of black equality sometimes accepted some of the insidious ideas of racism and blamed African Americans for the discrimination they experienced. Thus the real target of Professor Kendi’s anger is racism itself, the pervasiveness of which does not exempt even black Americans from its influence.Even this fine work of scholarship is not, in my opinion, free of flaws. In his evaluation of historical figures, he seems to judge them by their conformity to our values and standards. To judge Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass for their failure to measure up to this generation’s views of racism may accurately pinpoint some of the shortcomings especially in Lincoln’s attitudes. But to criticize a 19th century president, caught in the impossible pressures of a savage civil war for having mixed motives in his emancipation policy displays a willful refusal to evaluate his behavior according to the context of the times in which he lived. (Absurd comments to the effect that Lincoln was “scared to death” when Lee threatened Washington during his invasion of the north in 1862 reveal more about Kendi than they do about the president.)But even if I have correctly identified flaws in the book, this is an important and exceptionally fine work of scholarship, which anyone concerned about the future of race relations in the US should read.
J. A. Brown –
This book is brilliant. Professor Kendi relentlessly documents every bit of this history; however, although the approach is erudite, the style of his writing is clear and flowing–but for the topic, I’d actually classify this as an easy read, due to his skill as a writer. As for the topic: this work is illuminating; although I just wanted to keep reading, I deliberately would set the book down in order to allow myself to think about and absorb what I had just been taught. The subtitle states “in America”–and, of course, the study is of specific American attitudes, customs, politics, etc., etc. But, truly, the fundamental point applies globally, to all racial interaction: as Kendi points out, racist attitudes and ideas “intersect” (his word) with a multitude of other -isms.I can’t recommend this highly enough: it’s challenging, fascinating, horrifying, enlightening, intellectual……..I could keep going and gushing!
Jessica McIntyre –
So much history to unpack, present hurt to heal and a future of hope to demand. I only wish this had been required back during AP history in High School. Much of this book challenged me, and if I’m being honest , as I had a hard time agreeing at times. But that is the work to be done towards empathy and our future.
Violet –
I don’t usually offer good reviews but this book is such an exceptionally powerful contribution toward deepening my understanding of the evolution of racist thinking in the world as it has been transmitted over many, many generations and ultimatley in the USA.This is a scholarly approach to the subject (seriously, I wound up taking notes) but don’t let that lull you into assuming that it won’t have heart. Don’t imagine that it won’t be enlightening even though may be well informed in this subject.This is book two of my book to make an effort to enrich my understanding of a topic that is all too important as we strive to evolve into a more loving and understanding world. . I’m deliberately choosing books authored authors of color. I’m so glad that I found this one.I have a long ways to go in pursuing more knowledge and more undestanding on this topic.I’m looking forward to the surprises ahead for my future readings.
Zoe Feral –
The further in I got; the harder it was to put down. The concepts within began to bleed into everything around me; the arguments my liberal friends were having on their facebook walls; the news I was reading and watching; the media I consume. The ideas and rippling effects detailed here are so pervasive that I was often overwhelmed with helpless rage as my entire conception of history got re-arranged.This is one of the most vital books I have ever read – fiction or non-fiction; and I am going to be carefully exploring some of the works he references in the fifth portion of the book to re-examine them with fresh eyes. I would highly recommend it to basically everyone – it reads smoothly and efficiently.
Kirk Michie –
Kendi has done a masterful job of laying out the origins and history of white supremacy and racial injustice in America, and maybe more importantly, the World. He’s filled the narrative with examples, diligent footnotes and endnotes, and draws the line from the earliest documented evidence to the present moment. It’s a bit of a textbook, so strap in for the coursework accordingly. This is important information, well researched and reported, and I’m grateful for the experience and lessons.
Martin Firestein –
Having just finished Dr. Kendi’s magnum opus on the history of American racism, I can confidently say that this is a very ambitious work. It attempts to describe the political, social, economic, philosophical, and cultural development of racist ideas throughout American history while at the same time, offering biographical sketches of 5 Americans who were/are representative of their time and place (Cotton Matther/Colonial America, Jefferson/Revolutionary era, William Garrison/Civil War and Reconstruction Era, W.E.B. DuBois/Jim Crow era, and Angela Davis/Civil Rights and Black Power era).Perhaps it’s a bit too ambitious, though. The amount of ground the book tries to cover prevents it from being able to cover anything in great detail. Thus, the biographies of the 5 individuals are incomplete, and the racist or assimilationist ideas in each time period are discussed superficially. Dr. Kendi’s book also jumps around a lot from one subject to another, which can be a bit jarring or disrupt the flow of the narrative. Don’t get me wrong. The book does a very good job explaining how a lot of what has passed for antiracism in US history was really assimilationist thinking, and it also convincingly argues that racism and racist policies flow from the political, economic, or social advantages that one group gains by the persecution of the other. However, I am left with the distinct impression that Dr. Kendi should’ve narrowed his focus to something that could’ve been more manageable. Perhaps he should’ve focused exclusively on the difference between antiracism vs assimilation. Perhaps instead of attempting biographies of 5 individuals, he should’ve devoted each chapter (or section) of the book to discussing the racist or assimilationist ideas of that time period, and how they developed or changed over time.Overall, my best advice would be to get this book and read it, because it’s very timely with what’s going on right now in America, but for those areas that aren’t covered in a lot of detail, I would try to supplement it with other literature.
Jennifer D –
I’m a white female, who has grown up in America. From Oklahoma, moved to Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive at age 7, untilThe family moved to the suburbs of Chicago.My whole life, I’ve been aware of racism, although I’ve always felt the cries to equality were overdone and equality was already established.This book changed my views and the way I see racism and the deeply rooted prejudices we as a species (all mammals alike).History classes NEVER explained even half of what I’ve already learned in Ibram Kendo’s book.If you live in America, I don’t care what color, religion, ethnicity, or country you were born, this book is a MUST READ.I’m also an avid dog services entrepreneur, and feel It’s my duty to help children learn about prejudices, racism and equality through education and dogs. I also want to develop lesson plans for adults to become more aware of systemic racism…. and it’s all because of this book…
Chris –
Kendi explores and reveals the structural underpinnings of racism in U.S. society. His work demonstrates the historical connections between racist practices (like segregation or slavery) and racist ideas that have sprung up in the attempt to justify those practices. This demonstrates the requirement for leaders and policy makers to address racism as a structural flaw in the United States, rather than simply a matter of opinion among individual citizens.Not only is this book is a must for historians, instructors, and for future leaders, but also for anyone who needs to fully understand the entrenched “systemic racism” whose effects influence current events.
Randolph A McCord –
It is an impressive collection of well cited sources a historian or sociologist would appreciate. I keep talking about it with my friends. The word “racist” is a loaded word nobody wants to hear, but this is proof positive of the blatantly racist roots to our society… the ideas which have permeated our thinking including within the African American community. I am especially shocked by many of our earlier presidents’ attitudes. I read this after I read “White Fragility,” another book which caused me to reset my thinking.
Tom Cunniff –
Most people bristle at the tag “racist” because they believe that to be racist, one has to be an evil person who actively hates and wishes to harm Black people. Few of us actually fit that description, and can’t square that with who we know ourselves to be. What is brilliant about Mr. Kendi’s book is that he clearly defines what a racist idea is: the idea that Black people are inherently different than White people. The book is deeply researched, thoughtful, and remarkably free of vitriol: what might have easily been a furious rant is expressed as a simple and undeniable history. The facts, uncomfortable as they are, are solidly on Mr. Kendi’s side and he wisely lets those facts tell the story. If you’re at all curious to learn where these ideas come from, and why they have been so hard to shake, this is a must-read.
Kaleia Martin –
This book provides a complete paradigm shift for how this country, and its inequities, came to be. This book took me three months to read and I supplemented it with the audio book. I learned so much and I know this was only a concise summary of all there is to know.If you’re looking to really understand what racism is and why it occurs, this is your book. This book is a commitment and an excellent journey for those who love history and context like myself. I will absolutely revisit this book often.
Candy –
Recommending this book for every human on the globe. Disclosure: it took me several months to finish, because I kept rereading pages to be sure I absorbed the material. As someone who has spent more than 2 decades working toward an anti-racist world, I thought I would learn a few things but would be largely aware of most of the history and analysis. I was wrong. I was blown away with how much I learned on every page. This book sheds light on the historical record that we were taught for every year and decade of the past 500 years. The author cited more primary sources per page than most history books do. And yes, I had the same reaction to the same author’s book How to Be an Antiracist. I truly thought that I would not be enlightened, having been in the trenches… but I was wrong that time too. My words will not do justice to either of these two books by Ibram X. Kendi!
Barry –
This is an amazing book and a really informative if you want to understand the history of racism in the USA. It is a long read but worth the time. The sad aspect of it is that it shows how things have changed very slowly and not enough in the past 200+ years. It really gives you a basis for understanding what is happening today and how much of it is nothing new. I would definitely recommend for anyone that cares about racism.
Marcia T –
American history as it should be told
Amazon Customer –
A young people’s version of “Sta,[ed” is being censored by school systems across the South, apparently it suggests that slaves were not cheerful and singing through slavery. Read the truth.
Robert Bain –
Last month, I was skeptical due to a title Stamped From The Beginning that, in not telling enough, told me nothing and further by a subtitle The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America that, seemingly said much to much. “Definitive” carries a lot of weight. Additionally, for all of my sense of knowing much of the who and what to know in the realm of us-folks, I had never heard of Ibram X. Kendi.This month, I’m recommending Stamped From The Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America particularly to those, like me, that think they know a thing or three and realize that there is always more to know (and un-know). At 511 pages, I can’t call it a “can’t put it down” read, but can certainly say that it is a “can’t wait to pick it back up” read and a “must read” — six stars, to say the least. Weight carried!That said, Toni Cade Bambara opens The Salt Eaters with a character Velma saying “Are you sure, sweetheart, that you want to be well?” Pages later Velma adds “A lot of weight when you’re well. Now you just hold that thought.”Indeed, weight and wellness — now you just hold that thought as Kendi weighs in with the definitive History of Racist Ideas in America.
Cassidy Davis –
I’ve never reviewed a non-fiction book before, so I’m not sure what to say. There is a lot of information to take in and it is heavy. This was not an enjoyable or easy read. However, I do believe it is a necessary read, especially given the sanitized version of history that is so often taught in US schools. The author does an excellent job of presenting the racist and antiracist ideas that have long fought in this country and how they came about. I do recommend everyone read this book – read it slowly, and take time to reflect on what is being said.
Dan Bouchelle –
Kendi has helped me understand a perspective I’ve never been able to grasp before. He presents a massively well researched and compelling argument, even if I wonder about his interpretation of facts and use of sources at time. He clarified for me the difference between the assimilationist and anti-racist perspectives. He also makes a powerful argument that assimilation efforts are inherently racist because they presume the superiority of the dominant white culture to which the person of color must assimilate.Kendi also effectively argues that racism is not the product of racist ideas. Rather, racist ideas are generated to defend the mistreatment of people which rises from the motive of self-interest of those in power.While I often found myself struggling to accept what Kendi is saying, and I was left with many questions about historical facts, I am grateful that he helped me understand an important point of view much better and has forced me to continue to rethink how to confront racial injustice.
Jerry L Marsh –
Ran across an article recently that tried to paint Mr. Kendi as some sort of brain washing propagandist. Having recently read his book, I gave no attention to the rantings of the article and let the person who sent me the article know that the article was way out of bounds in light of my reading of Mr. Kendi. If it matters I am a white male in my 70s.
wpcotton –
The author has done an extensive job of researching the threads of racists, anti-racist, assimilationist, integretionist, and segregationist ideas throughout American History. He weaves us through all the varied theories of “Race” and the justification for slavery through discriminating racist theories of superior and inferior people and blaming “inferior” people for their conditions of poverty.A trans formative account of how all Americans have internalized the ideas of race and have consciously and unconsciously aided the promulgation of a pervasive racist system of government, religion, business, and education.
shannon –
It was a long and intense reading. The more I read, the more I agree with the author. The beginning was like full of greedy, then it was a power struggle, then it was ignorance, then it was fear, then it was something else that racists are trying to find to justify their actions. It was amazing to discover that our revered heroes were basically either racist or stuck in the middle types. Opposed to stand above to betterment our morals of America. I admit it was a little mild shocked and disappointed but I wasn’t surprised for some reason. Every racist thought or idea that came up in this book was so baffled to me but they happened. Even now with Trump…this book should be read by every Americans. We need to break our pre-mold in our brain about the blacks in present America. It is time to knock the racism out! We cannot continue this into the rest of the 21st century.
Birder6 –
What a thought-provoking book! The factual history of racism is enlightening — some things I knew, but a lot I learned. More importantly, however, the book opened my eyes and forced me to think about the various and subtle ways by which racism works and the underlying racism of philosophies that purport to eschew racism. This book has had a huge impact on me, similar to that of Do the right thing. They are immediately depressing, but leave room for hope. Putting yourself in the place of persons with vastly different experiences is difficult, but the more we learn about experiences unlike our own, the more possible that will be. Everyone should read this book.
Susan Townsend –
The fact that this book was recently written and by a local author made it all the more relevant for me. I dug deep into the sections and really took my time to read and digest all the facts through timelines. One glaring point was that my childhood education (Virginia) was white-washed for my benefit. It was tough to read in some parts (humans suck), but wow, I learned so much more than the glossed-over History I got in school.
Kevin MacDonald –
Kendi offers a precious thing to the reader that few books do; new knowledge and awareness that can change how you see yourself and the world around you. I can no longer claim to myself or others that “I am not racist.” I was born and bred in a land that was founded on racism, and I have been fed on racist thought my entire life. How can I not be racist? What I can do however, is open my eyes a little more and take steps on a road toward becoming less so, and help my community and country become a better place for all people. Reading this book was a step.
McGarvey_Wray –
This book was so well written it made it easy to stick with a book this long and serious. I appreciated all the detail on the origins of slavery so long ago. As a white person it’s important to understand that history and this laid it out really well. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who genuinely wants to learn about our own history in this land – from before our country existed.I have two more books by this author that I can’t wait to start. Black Lives Matter…
MsLEA –
This book is densely packed with information. I can read only a few pages at one time. Necessary to have time for processing after reading.
MikeyR –
Really incredible book that delves deep into all facets of racism providing incredible perspective that all Americans should read. One interesting fact in the book that I had never heard before is that the author claims that following dinner with Booker T. Washington and the ensuing maelstrom that occurred, Teddy Roosevelt officially decided to name the executive mansion “the White House” to make it clear it represented white people. I found that very interesting (I never heard that before). I found plenty of facts backing up TR’s naming of the executive mansion officially as “White House” but I could not find any support that it was in reaction to the dinner with Booker T. Washington and thus intended to show “white” as the author suggests. If anyone knows where to support this fact, please comment.
Jamie and Heather Hejduk –
Stamped From the Beginning is a very dense book, packed full of history and information. You could read it three or four times and still find more to learn. It’s not a book you speed through for sure. I learned so much and cannot recommend it enough. It makes so many things about race and racism make sense, or rather makes it so you understand where ideas that still permeate our culture came from. I very highly recommend this book to everyone, but especially to white people.
Trevor Monroe –
This book requires a lot of careful reading to properly take in the key descriptions. Without doing so you will never truly understand it and as a result end up like the 1 star reviewers who are labeling it as “bias.” Out of probably thousands of books by intellectuals who have discussed racist ideas, this is one that is very unbiased as far as discussing the issues that created racist ideas in America. The only reason why people may believe there is a “bias” is because the racist ideas explained perhaps do not show any sign if racism towards white men/women. However, the issue is that there was no such racism towards white men since the beginning and even before America, and to this day, any form of racism toward Whites is nearly nonexistent. But I digress. This book is for an audience that seeks to learn, not to be offended. America needs to learn about what this country was built on and Stamped from the Beginning is a great start to begin that topic.
Robbie M. JohnsonRobbie M. Johnson –
I ordered this book because I was planning on attending a luncheon, and the author was the keynote speaker. I haven’t finished it yet, but what I have read so far is enlightening.
Kindle Customer –
This book had a profound impact on me. It has changed how I view all political discussions, history discussions, policy discussions, and race discussions. As a Hispanic Caucasian, I was acutely unaware of much of America’s racist history. I knew the obvious examples, but this book really shows how extensive the racism is and its profound effects that are still heavily in effect today.Kendi’s thesis is short and simple: racist ideas were created to justify racist policies. This is counter to the common argument that ignorance and racism spurs racist policies. Kendi lays out his main thesis at the beginning of the book and follows it up with example after example to back it up. Keeping the thesis and definition of racism simple really helps emphasize Kendi’s point throughout the book.This book is also thorough; so much history is covered by this book. I spent a lot of time looking up some historical events or figures in more detail on Wikipedia to get a fuller picture. If you are unfamiliar with American history, then expect to move very slowly through the text as you look everything up for proper context.I absolutely love this book and strongly encourage everyone to read it. However, I do have a few gripes with it: – Kendi often misled me with his wording or juxtaposition of statements. I understand he is trying to make a statement, but I wish he wouldn’t do this. One example that comes to mind is Roosevelt’s naming of the White House. Kendi makes it seem like Roosevelt named it the White House after the public uproar over his invitation of Booker T. Washington over for dinner. However, there doesn’t appear to be any evidence to support this, and there is some indication the White House was already referred to by that name well before the dinner. To Kendi’s credit, he doesn’t explicitly say the naming was done to appease the public, he just points out that it happened and people were still upset. Another example is his mention of black unemployment rates rising sharply in the early 1980s. This is true, but all unemployment rates rose during that time due to the recession. Yes, the black unemployment rate was worse, but he doesn’t make that point: he only mentions the black unemployment rates. So as a reader you have to be careful of the facts you internalize from the book. – The organization of the book didn’t really do anything for me. He tries to break down the text into 4 main sections, each focusing on a different historical figure. However, the focus on the figures didn’t really contribute much, in my opinion, to his thesis. It brought some organization to his book, but not much. I would have preferred he spent more of the book going into details of some of the more significant policies or events than to keep looping the historical figure back in. – Text can read a bit haphazardly at times. There are certain sections of the book where I feel Kendi is jumping around history pretty quickly to different events and it becomes difficult for me to follow. Eventually he gets around to making a point, but it usually takes too long for me to fully grasp it at the moment. I have to often re-read these sections a second time to really get it.Again, please buy this book and read it. We would all be better off to know this history and the racist policies behind it.
Sabre3031 –
Very informative historical treatment of race issues in US. Highly recommended to anyone
Amazon Customer –
The main thing I really enjoyed about this book is it’s thoroughness. Kendi does a phenomenal job providing a detailed historical record dating back to the 16th century of racist ideology. He provides the solemn gift of knowledge where the reader is challenged to take this historical record and go do something about it. Kendi’s book lays the foundation for anyone interested in taking up the mantle and becoming an anti-racist.
Mallak Saleh –
Stamped from the Beginning shows the horrors of racism, slavery, and racist ideas from 1600s to the 2000s. This honestly taught me more about racism than school and I believe it should be part of the school curriculum. The writing style of Kendi’s makes the book easy to comprehend for anyone while still showing the truth of racist ideas in America. This book is a great read for anyone who wants to educate themselves on the real history of America outside school.
hazmatdance –
Kendi traces the historical roots of American racism from the first “conquistadors” up to today. Sometimes his narrative jumps around, so I had to read it a few times. Packed with facts and analysis. He quotes extensively from original historical sources and documents, including our own Founding Fathers who were – surprise! – wealthy slave-owning planters. Cotton Mather figures big as well. Critiques of abolitionists, who weren’t perfect either. This book is long. You won’t get through it in a casual afternoon. I recommend a study partner because we ALL need to understand this history.
uasd1447 –
I love how he make this trip to the beginning of the most cruel chapter of humanity, the slavery of black people.In his detail account of the history of slavery, he makes it perfectly clear how little it has changed for black people in America. The book is well researched. Its detailed presentation of the sustained effort by the system to keep black Americans status is very impressive. It has always been Apartheid in America, just not written as the law, but the system sees black people as being a crime. The slave owners who founded the country were not thinking about black or brown people when they wrote “equal protection of the law” or “all men are created equal”.
John M. DeMarco –
Bearing 511 pages of text supported by nearly 70 pages of footnotes, Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped From the Beginning (Bold Type Books, 2017) is, for me, not an “alternative” American history but THE American history.Kendi, founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracism Research, makes a convincing argument—which he emphasizes in his other books and public speaking—that, contrary to conventional assumptions, racist policies drive racist thinking and not the other way around. And, Kendi adds, it’s economic, political, or cultural self interests that give birth to such policies and motivate their rejection when new circumstances demand it.In making his case, Kendi patiently and passionately traces the development, implementation, and adaptations of three racial dynamics across the history of the U.S.:1. Segregation: Blaming Black people themselves for racial disparities, and therefore denying them the privileges 2. enjoyed by white Americans3. Assimilation: Blaming Black people and racial discrimination for racial disparities, and demanding Black people change their behavior in order to experience less racismAntiracism: Pointing to racial discrimination and policies while defending Black people’s right to be themselvesIn addition, Kendi structures this narrative across five lengthy sections, each centered on the impact of a specific, influential “tour guide” and their contemporaries:1. Cotton Mather, early America’s greatest preacher and intellectual, and a staunch promoter of racist policies and ideas2. Thomas Jefferson, primary author of the Declaration of Independence, and America’s first Secretary of State, second Vice President, and third President, who held contradictory views amid incongruous political and personal actions3. William Lloyd Garrison, an influential publisher who opposed slavery but embraced assimilationist ideas4. W. E. B. DuBois, a towering Black intellectual who gradually shifted from assimilation to antiracism5. Angela Davis, one of the best known Black scholars and antiracist activists still alive todayWhen you’re done reading Stamped From the Beginning, you’ve gained a new framework for noticing and examining race and its interrelated justice issues. Current racial events take on a richer meaning, with their nuances and complexities more tangible than before. Other books on racial justice help to reinforce this framework and further develop a reader’s embryonic skills for noticing racism within themselves, others, policies, and systems—and doing something about it.To grow increasingly fluent in Black history is to awaken from the slumber of an incomplete, biased, and often false American narrative that’s been drilled into most of our minds since we were young children. Since racism remains very much alive today, waking up is crucial and, from my experience, invigorating and teeming with possibilities for a more purposeful life.
Frank Harris –
This is one of the greatest history books I’ve had the pleasure to read. I highlighted a good majority of the pages, because of the information provided. It provided information that I can share with some of the youth that I mentor in the community. The book is an amazing resource, one I’ll be referring back it from time to time. I owe Ibram X. Kendi an enormous debt for such a resource.
Shawn19 –
I was absolutely taken by these thorough research done by these two authors. I learned a lot about the American history.
Joe Terrell –
A 500+ page history of racist ideas in America is heavy in more ways than one, but Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped From the Beginning is one of those books that’ll change the way you think about the world, your community, and yourself.Structured around five individuals, Kendi uses mini-biographies to explore the racial and racist progress of five different time periods in American history – Cotton Mathers (Puritan/Colonial), Thomas Jefferson (Revolutionary War), William Loyd Garrison (Civil War/Reconstruction), W.E.B. Du Bois (Jim Crow South), and Angela Davis (Civil Rights Movement/Modern Era). Along the way, Kendi not reveals how racist ideas were commonly used to argue for racial progress, but also how racist backlash always followed on the heels of racial progress.For those looking for a history of the Black experience in America, you won’t find that here exactly. As the subtitle makes clear, Stamped From the Beginning is about racist ideas and how they’ve become consciously and subconsciously embedded into our public institutions, popular culture, and collective imaginations. From Uplift Suasion and the “Model Minority” trope to Gone With the Wind and The Cosby Show, Stamped From the Beginning will not only reveal the racial injustice and revisionist history in our broader culture, but also the roots of implicit racial bias in our own hearts.Stamped From the Beginning is a monumental achievement and a testament to the power of exhaustive research and narrative nonfiction. The only thing holding some people back from reading it will probably be its length, but this eye-opening and brutal account of America’s racist past and present could literally change the way we process the history of our nation
lisle_g –
I thought I knew about racism, but my knowledge was woefully thin. This book clearly shows how and why racism was conceived and justified. I never knew where many racist ideas originated; now I know more. While I can’t say that a book will make me understand how it feels to a target of hatred and discrimination, this book at least gives me some background data for building a factual knowledge. We should all know about this; otherwise the massacres in Elaine, Arkansas and Tulsa, Oklahoma seem like random terrorist incidents. These tragedies were one direct outcome of the purposeful racism that has been practiced and promoted in the US for many decades.“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” —Maya AngelouI am trying, Maya, I am trying to know better.
Joseph Psotka –
This wonderful book provide a clear and readable history of racism that everyone and especially Americans should read. As a white immigrant Christian of moderate means, I am among those who conveniently succumbed to the implicit racism of America, and was repeatedly shocked by the rapier insights Kendi offers in this critical review of racism in America from early slavers to the Constitution, segregationists, abolitionists, assimilationists, and modern white supremacists. No one is safe from his bright light on the blatant and subtle forms of racism, from Jefferson, to Du Bois, to MLK, and Angela Davis, and now to the racism of Trump, who hides his otherwise ebullient racism by calling blacks “Thugs”. What shocks me most is how naïve I am in believing I hold antiracist positions, only to discover that Kendi’s critique blows holes into some of my beliefs. If I can be so naïve, perhaps so can you. This is a thoughtful and detailed historical summary that helps explain so many of America’s current trends and ideologies.
Amanda Lett –
Heartbreaking. Revelatory. Fascinating. This book is not only a call to arms, but readable to boot. Seriously, everyone should read this book. Even as a professional historian, I was amazed and near tears. This is important reading for life in the American 21st century.
Shopping from Asheville –
This is a must-read for any student of history – actually for all Americans. America’s racist state-of-mind was pretty much in place from the very beginning. This well-researched book tells that long history in a very readable fashion. “Contrary to popular conceptions, racist ideas did not arise from ignorance or hatred. Instead, they were devised and honed by some of the most brilliant minds of each era. These intellectuals used their brilliance to justify and rationalize deeply entrenched discriminatory policies and the nation’s racial disparities in everything from wealth to health. And while racist ideas are easily produced and easily consumed, they can also be discredited. In shedding much-needed light on the murky history of racist ideas, Stamped from the Beginning offers us the tools we need to expose them–and in the process, gives us reason to hope.”
Aileen –
At 75 years old this book taught me what I never learned in school, church or elsewhere. This is not an easy read, but it is a critical read. I recommend it for everyone regardless of race or religion. There is a lot to learn about humanity in these pages. I commend Ibram Kendi. He is a brilliant scholar and an exceptional human being.
Tyla –
I haven’t finished reading this book, but one of its strengths is that it presents history from a variety of views. For me, although my family is racially blended, it has given me information which I either simply didn’t know, but perhaps more importantly, an awareness of the impact of the long history of racism and treatment of people of color impacts people who grew up within a culture of fear and inequality. I realized we had cultural differences, but never had considered why there were differences. Growing up in the south I have childhood memories of not understanding having water fountains, bathroom, restaurants, schools that were not inclusive. I also lived through the 1950s and 60s as progress was made against racism, but not ‘fixed. This book has helped me put the pieces together and is clarifying how the past impacts the current cultural differences. And and how understanding the history of cultural differences could enrich everyone’s life. Understanding the past helps understanding the present, and knowing the potential for the future.
C Ann B –
After reading this book, I’ve come to realize that I’ve been living in an alternate reality. Duped over many years by the media and politicians – which is really embarrassing now. This book has opened my eyes to what has been happening in the U.S. since the days of slavery to keep people of color as second class citizens.This book should be required reading in every high school. We study European History but not our own. That is a tragedy.This is a long, dense book that I found worth reading – but Dr Kendi has written a somewhat abridged version for the YA audience that might be easier if you find this one too long.
meme –
Alex –
This is a sobering take and broader picture of history in the United States. It pulls into question mainstream cultural values, assumptions, and practices and traces the turmoil we see in our society today back to its roots in the founding and development of the United States.
Chinaberry –
This 500 page book was chock full of information. The author is an excellent historian. Not only had he done massive research (check his bibliography) but he tells this factual account of America in a very interesting way. The book is never boring and although there were some sections where I wish he could have gone into more detail, it would require another volume. Do not skip over the prologue nor the preface since the information is helpful in understanding how he came to write this book. Powerful and informative.
Artemis825 –
I learned so much about history that was never taught in school. I can see why so many racists in 2022 are so foaming-at-the-mouth snarling about critical race theory. The last thing any of these folks want is critical anything. Personally, I’ve been sharing my observations as I read with my teens. This book is a wealth of insight and information…highly recommended!
David Miller –
Being white I have long questioned “our” real history. Some things didn’t make sense. Racism especially haunted me and I have read many books over the years and have still been left with questions. Well!, here are the answers! Starting with Aristotle right on up to the present. That seems like a long way to go and an even longer read, But!, Mr. Kendi will walk you through it in beautifully easy to manage prose. Just enough facts (real facts!!) fill the story so that you don’t get bogged down. Better have a couple to good highlighters at the ready, for every page is filled with “wow!, so that’s where that (stuff) came from. This is a book ALL American and World History students need to read. This is a book All Christians must read! This is a book all Americans should read .. then, when you are done you will understand the Facts enough to counter any racist chatter you hear. Read this Book!: every African American deserves our knowledge of their history and pain.
Robert C. Goldszer –
This is a great and important book for Americans and others to read. I learned many historical facts. I learned about systemic racism and how it began and how it has grown and been maintained. I learned some ideas about becoming anti-racist. Now we and I need to put them into action.
J. Martin –
Kendi’s work is a masterpiece of scholarship. It took me longer than usual to read, because I found myself needing to stop and think awhile about what he was saying. His writing is clear and engaging, but the content is too rich to speed-read. He traces the history of racism in America, looking at 5 people who were major influences on black-white relations. Unlike some other authors, he clearly lays out how racism affected the thinking of both blacks and whites, how people of both races adopted the idea that there was something inferior about black people and how they needed to be more like white people, as well as how people of both races rejected this idea. If you want to understand why racism persists in America, you need to read this book.
Stephen Matlock –
So this is a GREAT, solid book about American history. Dr. Kendi knows his stuff, and explains things in detail, but this is solid, clear writing about a topic that many people don’t want to face: that America didn’t just happened; it happened by design, and some things about our current predicaments were indeed stamped from the beginning. This book feels like listening to a confident expert who is familiar with casual conversation–the chapters are easy to read and absorb, and it’s not a dense thicket of ideas. But–it does build upon itself, line upon line, precept upon precept, a little here, and a little there.We can’t fix things until we know they’re broken, and Dr. Kendi’s book is a great way to understand not only the brokenness, but also the beginnings of that brokenness. Unless you get to the core of the problem, you can’t really fix it–and Dr. Kendi is an able guide to that center
Anthony Pignataro –
This is one of the greatest history books I’ve ever read. I was highlighting passages on pretty much every page, mostly because so much of what’s here was new to me. Hey, I’m an upper middle class white guy who’s trying to examine my own privileges, understand more of why there’s so much racism in this country and learn how I can do better. This book, which was undoubtedly extremely difficult to write, is an amazing resource, one I’ll be referring back to probably for the rest of my life. We all owe Ibram X. Kendi a tremendous debt.