Spotlight on STAMPED -- Black History Month 2024

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, by Ibram X. Kendi, was published in 2016.

True to it's title, it goes over the history of racism and its influence on the United States, preceding the formation of the country with racialized justifications for a shift in the slave trade from Slavs to Africans under Prince Henry the Navigator in Portugal, including the first introduction of Black slaves to the American colonies in 1619 and the legal changes in response to Bacon's Rebellion a few decades later. It then goes all the way through to the presidency of Barack Obama.

For those who read a lot of Black history, a lot of the names will be familiar, but there will still be some new information, and a lot of good analysis. For those less familiar, it is a good and thorough course.

I first added Stamped to my reading list in 2017, not too long after it was published. I just finished it this week.

That wouldn't necessarily merit its own post, except for all the other versions read before.

The first version I read was Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You, an adaptation (actually a remix) by Jason Reynolds. 

This was published in 2020, and I was gifted it shortly thereafter. I have some fondness for Reynolds anyway, and I thought it was really well done. 

I would say the target audience is teens. Shortly after reading it I passed it on to some teens who also liked it.

I always knew I would still read the original, but then I came upon two things I wasn't expecting:

Stamped from the Beginning: A Graphic History of Racist Ideas in America

This graphic novel was adapted and drawn by Joel Christian Gill, published in 2023. Of course I had to read that, but it still didn't change any plans.

2023 also saw a movie on Netflix: 

Stamped from the Beginning

The feature, directed by Roger Ross Williams, combines interviews, animation, and narration to essentially cover the same ground. 

That made me wonder if I was missing anything. It turns out that I was:

Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Anti-Racism, and You

Sonja Cherry-Paul adapted Jason Reynolds' adaptation, with illustrations by Rachelle Baker. It came out in 2021.

I think the fact that people keep finding different ways of getting out the material testifies to its importance. 

There should be a version that works best for you.

Some people would rather watch a movie, but then there are all those people who always believe that the book was better.

I think the graphic novel is the most faithful to Kendi's original structure of following five historic figures through the time periods. I also found it a little crammed and hard on my eyes.

The "For Kids" version is not for small children; more for older kids. I think they might just as well wait for the version for teens, which has more information but is still not overwhelming.

The full, original version gives the most complete picture, and that is worth a lot. However, if you are not ready for just over 500 pages, well, maybe go for the Reynolds adaptation.

And remember that the subject matter is important, and worth seeking out.