Stamped From the Beginning Book Summary

Book Summary

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Brief Summary

Racism has persisted throughout the history of America. It is wielded for power and political appeal. Implicit racial biases, as well as overt racism, have long been used to sway voters.

Although there are many who believe America’s racist tendencies are in its past, its ideologies continue to live on in today’s society. The election of a Black president does not absolve America of all racial injustices.

The use of racial rhetoric by politicians and lawmakers has had a direct impact on Black communities. The War on Drugs and mass incarcerations continue to have lasting impacts. The justice system disproportionately harms Blacks.

Willful ignorance of the disparities is part of the problem. Critical readings of policies and statistics are essential. Until institutional racism in America is properly addressed, racial inequalities will continue.

About the Author

Ibram X. Kendi is an American historian and author. He is the founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research and the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in Humanities. Kendi is the youngest ever recipient of the National Book Award for Nonfiction.

After working as a journalist at the Virginian Pilot, Kendi resumed his education and earned his doctoral degree in African American Studies from Temple University. Kendi has been a visiting professor at Brown University and has received a number of visiting appointments from other institutions including the University of Chicago, Duke University, and the Lyndon B. Johnson Library & Museum.

In 2019 Kendi was listed as the most influential college professor and awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts with his wife.

Topics

Politics

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Key Insights

At the start of 2008, many people believed racism in America had come to an end. With the election of President Barack Obama, there was a belief that this was proof of a new beginning in America’s history.

However, the underlying foundations of America have been built upon racism and discrimination. These practices cannot simply die out with the election of one man.

As politicians from both parties continue to chase the racist vote, the negative impacts on Black communities continue. The practice of false narratives and skewing of statistical data has created an ingrained prejudice that is not easy to erase.

Racism, overt or implicit, is used for political appeals.

Imagine you are watching a movie and the main character has just entered a dangerous neighborhood. What would that neighborhood look like? More specifically what would the people look like in this dangerous neighborhood?

In all likelihood, they would not be white. The fact is that the common perception of a dangerous neighborhood in America is one that is predominantly Black, even though statistics prove this is not the case. It is a false narrative.

In recent history, American political campaigns have relied on unspoken racism to appeal to voters. By portraying Black neighborhoods as dangerous places, they speak to unfounded fears in the hope to gain the white voter who believes that Black neighborhoods are somehow much worse than white ones.

This technique has been used by numerous politicians from both parties over the years. You might wonder why it is so successful. The answer is that it speaks to the views that many white Americans hold without realizing they are racist.

By building upon these fears, political campaigns have successfully created an image of Black America that supports these views. What this means to you is that by creating fear of a community, presidents and politicians hope to get the vote of white America.

Policies from the Reagan administration continue to disproportionate impact Blacks.

During the 1980s President Reagan created policies and economic plans that severely impacted middle and low-income families. You may not realize it, but the impact of those policies is still being felt today.

Significant cuts to social programs as a way to balance tax cuts for higher incomes were devastating to many families who relied on them. If you were from a middle or low-income family, you experienced a significant drop to your income. Black families were some of the hardest hit.

When the administration began its war on drugs it was during a time when drug-related crimes were relatively low. Nevertheless, the campaign continued and by the middle of the 1980s it was apparent there was a racial bias in who was prosecuted.

If you were a Black American in 1986 you were experiencing higher unemployment rates than white Americans. In addition to this, you were more likely to be prosecuted for narcotics abuse than white Americans. Your chances of achieving the American dream under the Reagan administration were severely limited.