Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America (National Book Award Winner)

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.

I wish I’d learnt this history decades ago. This book illuminates how the world has, for many of us, come to be seen through a white supremacist lens. It provides religious, political, technological, sociological context over centuries and Millenia. It explains the justifications used to treat our fellow humans as ‘less than’ - the sort of thinking that we in the ‘western’, white, colonial world have inherited, that persists through literature, philosophy and mythology, and that continues to fuel bigotry and oppression today. Eye opening. Can’t recommend more highly (book, kindle, audiobook).

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.

I really recommend that everyone reads this book.

Viele Rezensionen hat Ibram X Kendi mit "Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America" in den Medien erhalten, 2016 auch den Sachbuchpreis des National Book Award, Der selbst afroamerikanische Hochschullehrer sieht die US-Geschichte einmal konsequent aus der Perspektive des Rassismus. Das ist nicht die gewohnte Betrachtungsweise - Schwarze, ihre Versklavung bzw. Diskrimierung werden meist sonst nur kurz angetippt - und dadurch aufschlussreich. Mit dem Finger auf "die da" in den USA zu weisen, wäre aber falsch - "Stamped from the beginning" sensibilisiert eher für den täglichen abstempelnden Rassismus hier wie dort. Und gegen andere Diskriminierungen aufgrund von Geschlecht, Orientierung, Geld, Herkunft, ... Kendis aufmerksame Hinweise auf Rassismus damals wie heute lassen sich nämlich so übertragen. Kendi verwehrt sich dabei gegen "Segregationismus" (getrennte Entwicklung), aber auch gegen einen Assimilations-Rassismus, dass Schwarze sich einfach nur angleichen müssten/sollten. Seine "antirassistischen" Vorbilder sind die aufbegehrenden Angela Davis und De Bois, und auch deren Irrwege stellt Kendi mit dar. Gute viereinhalb Sterne.

Stamped from the Beginning” by Ibram X. Kendi is an outstanding achievement in historical scholarship. Kendi’s thorough research and eloquent writing provide a comprehensive and unvarnished examination of the history of racist ideas in America. Kendi artfully divides the book into five sections, each centered on a pivotal figure: Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, William Lloyd Garrison, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Angela Davis. Through these narratives, Kendi reveals how racist ideas were formulated, spread, and adapted over centuries. His ability to contextualize these ideas within the broader framework of American history is both illuminating and impactful. One of the book’s greatest strengths is Kendi’s skillful debunking of myths and misconceptions about race and racism. He challenges readers to reconsider what they know about American history and to understand how deeply entrenched racist ideas are in the fabric of society. Kendi’s analysis is incisive and thought-provoking, making this book an essential read for anyone interested in the history and ongoing impact of racism. “Stamped from the Beginning” is not just a historical account; it is a powerful tool for education and change. Kendi’s work is both a revelation and a call to action, urging readers to confront the realities of racism and work towards a more equitable future. This book is a must-read for anyone committed to understanding and addressing the roots of racial injustice. Highly recommended!

Historical knowledge we all should know.

Ce livre raconte en détail les problèmes d’esclavage et de racisme aux Etats-Unis, depuis leur fondation au XVIIe siècle jusqu’à nos jours. On y apprend comment le développement de l’agriculture dans les états du sud est devenu complètement dépendant de la main d’œuvre esclave importée d’Afrique, au point de faire la guerre de Sécession pour conserver ses quelques 4 millions d’esclaves de l’époque. Cette guerre civile a fait environ 750.000 morts de 1861 à 1865, pour des raisons racistes autant qu’économiques. Avec des centaines d’exemples à l’appui, l’auteur montre comment les esclavagistes ont trouvé des « raisons » philosophiques, biologiques et morales pour justifier les discriminations et la souffrance des noirs : on a « montré » qu’ils constituaient une race génétiquement distincte de celle des Blancs ; qu’ils descendaient d’un fils maudit de Noé ; que leur infériorité congénitale provenait du climat trop chaud de l’Afrique, et que leur incapacité intellectuelle était sans remède. On a trouvé une jeune esclave noire surdouée, qui à 15 ans lisait et écrivait en anglais, latin et grec et publiait des poèmes ; un médecin diplômé et divers intellectuels noirs, mais les esclavagistes ont persisté à considérer tous les noirs comme indignes de sortir de l’esclavage, ou plus heureux esclaves en Amérique que libres en Afrique. Les Etats-Unis ont fondé en Afrique une colonie refuge pour les noirs libérés de l’esclavage, le Liberia, mais seuls 15.000 noirs ont accepté d’y émigrer. Aujourd’hui ce pays est indépendant et a 5 millions d’habitants. Après l’abolition de l’esclavage, d’anciens états sudistes ont trouvé des moyens d’en contourner certains effets de 1877 à 1964, en adoptant les lois ségrégationnistes Jim Crow. Aujourd’hui, malgré d’énormes progrès, des lois rendant difficile le vote des noirs sont encore en vigueur… Cet ouvrage magnifique a été un immense succès de librairie aux Etats-Unis. J’y ai beaucoup appris sur les problèmes de racisme, d’esclavagisme et de discrimination. Mais l’auteur ayant un vocabulaire très riche j’ai dû utiliser un dictionnaire de temps en temps.