Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

The book discusses the complexities and ideological developments of many famous figures in American history, including Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, W. E. B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Barack Obama. Which critical interpretation of a well-known historical figure surprised you the most? What had you previously learned about this person, and what new information did you learn from Stamped?

In what ways did notions of Black masculinity influence racist ideas in the 20th century? What about Black femininity? Rigid and stereotypical conversations about Black sexuality rendered Black LGBTQ+ experiences largely invisible in the mainstream. What intervention did queer Black commentators make in conversations about racism in the 20th and 21st centuries?

Which US president or administration delivered the most racist and destructive political platform? Which president or administration delivered the most significant antiracist policy or policies? With Abraham Lincoln in mind, what are the possible dangers in emphasizing the role of a single leader in determining policies and setting the tone of an era?

Stamped covers a long history in a short and fast-paced narrative. Which moments would warrant more explanation or detail if the book were to be expanded by a few dozen pages? Which topics benefitted the most from the book’s brevity and pace? Why?

Kendi decided to organize the history of American ideas about race around the five central figures that anchor the different sections of the book: Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, William Lloyd Garrison, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Angela Davis. Now that you’re familiar with the general history of racism in American history, how might you otherwise decide to structure the nation’s history into distinct units for analysis? You might suggest a different list of historical figures, pairs of figures that embody historical debates, historical moments and movements, or any other manageable organization scheme that comes to mind. You don’t have to suggest another five-section model.

In what ways did social class influence the discriminatory policies discussed in the book? How did it shape strategies of resistance? Focus on history since the American Civil War. You will want to consider the ways in which class informed both racism and antiracism. Another way of asking this question is, in what major ways did class and race intersect historically in the long Black civil rights struggle?

Do you think the tone of the book is ultimately optimistic (that we might achieve antiracism), pessimistic (that despite centuries of antiracist efforts, the US always emerges violently racist), or some combination of the two? Where do you personally see the most promise for progress? Where do you see the most significant obstacles?

During which of the eras discussed in the book do you think the most significant changes in race conversations came? In your answer, you will want to weigh the symbolism and promise of certain events and moments against the real-world impact of distinct social and political developments.