Book Review: Stamped

 

Written by: Jason Reynolds, Ibram X. Kendi
Published by: Little, Brown, and Company, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-316-45369-1

Plot Summary

Stamped is not a history book. That is how Reynolds begins this book that does contain quite a lot of history. But, rather than just listing them out for purposes of memorization or similar, the events covered in the book, which begins with the Portuguese enslaving Muslims from Morocco in 1415 and travels all the way to the creation of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2013, are carefully and explicitly linked with one another. 600 years of assimilationist and segregationist racism are covered, with some antiracism in the mix as well. Important historical events shape the structure of the book, but the focus is really on the figures throughout history who were both working to preserve racism and to demolish it.

Critical Analysis

Stamped is a remix of Ibram X. Kendi's book for adults, Stamped from the Beginning. Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities and the Founding Director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. Reynolds is an award-winning author of young adult books and says that his main goal is to write books that aren't boring. He certainly succeeds with Stamped, as the way that the history builds upon itself and comes off the page is engaging for adults, young or otherwise. He is able to connect the central figures throughout different parts of history and make connections that aren't immediately obvious but that are certainly there. Both Kendi's and Reynolds's credentials and reputations lend credence to the book and ensure its accuracy.

The book is organized into different sections based on timeframes. This organizational scheme works well and, as previously mentioned, allows the history to build upon itself. It also shows the growth and change of some of the figures, such as W.E.B DuBois's transition from an assimilationist to an antiracist. The book challenges much of what has been taught in history classes for years. The story of W.E.B. DuBois told each February is incomplete, glossing over the fact that he is so widely studied and known because of his initial assimilationist ideas and teachings. This is important for several reasons. First, it shows that the majority of American history taught has been American History written by white people. It's often said that history is written by the victors, so we've been presented throughout time with stories of "kind whites" and "respectable blacks" so that those racist ideas have been ingrained in our society and our children's minds.

The book includes a list of further reading, extensive source notes, and an index of topics at the back. These reference aids, along with the timeline-centered table of contents make the book easy to use as a reference either before or after reading it cover to cover. The source notes are separated by section and then chapter, and they include page numbers, for ease of use and to facilitate flipping back and forth while reading. All of these features add to the authenticity of the information in the book, allowing the reader to have confidence that the information is accurate and is appropriately presented and cited.

The cover shows the silhouette of a young black man with the title and read streaks on top of him. It is styled after the book it is based on, Stamped From the Beginning, by Kendi. There are some subtle differences in the two covers- the background colors are different, with this book's being stark white, in contrast to the first book's beige coloring, which serves to make it look like an aged document. The white cover has a more modern look and combined with the red streaks and blue title, reminds one of the American flag. The streaks are left open to interpretation and in fact, could represent a number of meaningful things- lash marks across a slave's back, or the bars of a jail cell.

The silhouette is used throughout the book, shown on blank pages between the sections. The hairstyle of the silhouette alternates with each image, showing different popular black hairstyles, from a closely cropped cut to longer twists and a short deadlock style. The different hairstyles present a visual representation of the journey of black people in American from slaves to free.

Reynolds's writing style is engaging and straight-forward and will quickly capture the attention of the reader. He lays out the entire history of racism in the United States like it's one long and interconnected story (which this book proves that it is). He also uses font size for emphasis, such as on page 72 when talking about Thomas Jefferson's complicated ideas about slavery- printing CONTRADICTION in all caps and several times larger than the surrounding text.

Overall, Reynolds accurately and engagingly presents the struggle of Black Americans for the past 600 years. It is a tragically eye-opening fact that racism has existed in the United States of America before America itself even existed. Reynolds draws in the reader with his writing style and also by exposing the real truths behind systemic racism in a way that young adults can understand the upper hand that white citizens of this country have been given at the expense of its Black citizens.

Awards Won

2020- #1 on New York Times Bestseller List

Review Excerpt

From Publishers Weekly, published March 11, 2020

"Reynolds (Look Both Ways) lends his signature flair to remixing Kendi’s award-winning Stamped from the Beginning into a powerful “not a history book” primer on the historical roots and present-day manifestations of antiblack racism in America. In five sections, Reynolds’s conversational text discusses the influential figures, movements, and events that have propagated racist ideas, beginning in 1415 with the publication of the infamous work that laid the groundwork for subsequent religious justifications of enslaving African peoples and continuing through the “war on drugs” and #BlackLivesMatter." 

Connections

Students should discuss the differences between the history covered in the book and what they have been taught previously in school. Focus on prominent figures in the black community, such as Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois. 

Students can keep a journal while they read to record their thoughts and observations. Invite them to share any thoughts they would like with the class.