Book Review: Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X Kendi

Stamped is a fantastic starting point for anyone looking to learn more about the history of racism within America. It’s a remix of the comprehensive book Stamped From the Beginning, meaning that the book has been condensed and made more accessible for a younger audience. I fully intend to go back and read Stamped From the Beginning, but this one gave me the foundation I really needed.

“But the thing about being Black is that just being can bring bloodshed.”

To put it bluntly - this book blew my mind. There was just so much I didn’t know, that I wasn’t even aware of, and Reynolds presents all this information in easily digestible bite-sized chunks. The history of racism is told chronologically, which makes the most sense of course, taking us from the story of the world’s first racist in 1415 up until Obama’s presidency.

The most eye-opening chapter for me was the one about the War on Drugs and how it was implemented to target the Black community. This has been referred to in a few podcasts I’ve listened to, but Reynolds lays it out in the most basic terms, explaining exactly how it was orchestrated. A drug dealer or user caught with FIVE grams of crack, typically handled by Blacks and poor people, faced a minimum five-year sentence, whereas the mostly White and rich users and dealers had to be caught with FIVE HUNDRED grams of powder cocaine to receive the same sentence. The same drug... just in a different form. Insanity, right?! Add in the fact that police officers policed Black neighbourhoods more, leading to more arrests. Shocking really. And this is only scratching the surface of the systemic racism that exists.

In a nutshell, this should be required reading in schools. It’s highly informative yet accessible and I truly got a lot from this book. Reynolds does a fantastic job. Highly recommend! Bring on Stamped From the Beginning! 4.5 stars.

Johann