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A review by gadicohen93
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
2.0
It's quite difficult to rate a book this ambitious, that seems to have covered history in such a comprehensive manner. Much of it felt already obvious, the history already so routine — the Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings story, for example. I was astonished at how Kendi was able to make them boring! Perhaps in his attempt to simplify all of his anecdotes and characters and events into a singular dimension, then categorize each into one of his three buckets, Kendi evaded the complexity that makes history come to life.
I agree with his simple but essential premise — that people invent racist ideas to justify their exploitation — and I found his categorization of historical approaches to racial relations — into racist, assimilationist, antiracist philosophies — compelling, if flawed. It doesn't make for an interesting or nuanced discussion. In fact, it seems to completely fail to engage with historical figures in a fair way, in the context of their actions. An example of this is when Kendi criticizes a particular speech of Obama's or WE Dubois's as "racist" — which to Kendi, in short, means blaming black people for their place in society — without really explaining it. There were many other examples where Kendi assigns racist motivations simply because they fit his framework of the world without ever delving into the background of the events and individuals he judges.
I agree with his simple but essential premise — that people invent racist ideas to justify their exploitation — and I found his categorization of historical approaches to racial relations — into racist, assimilationist, antiracist philosophies — compelling, if flawed. It doesn't make for an interesting or nuanced discussion. In fact, it seems to completely fail to engage with historical figures in a fair way, in the context of their actions. An example of this is when Kendi criticizes a particular speech of Obama's or WE Dubois's as "racist" — which to Kendi, in short, means blaming black people for their place in society — without really explaining it. There were many other examples where Kendi assigns racist motivations simply because they fit his framework of the world without ever delving into the background of the events and individuals he judges.