“Stamped” is a YA remix of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's “Stamped from the Beginning.”
Racism. A word we use for an unfair system that treats white people better than Black, brown, and indigenous people. A problem in society that cannot be sugarcoated. We can’t ignore it. And we can’t become antiracists without knowing about racism. Racism can be found in many forms, some so discreet we don’t notice.
We avoid learning about things for different reasons. Bringing up past stories can be reliving them. Other times we’re uncomfortable because we don’t know a lot about it. Maybe that’s because we’ll never have to face it. But it’s always right to learn about it. And not just learn about it, but learn about it so we’re getting truth, we’re getting evidence, and we’re not looking away from facts. Honestly, we want to think of now. Because now defines tomorrow. But how can we define now if we don’t know about then? Then, or the past, has many lessons in it. The power of now depends on then, because then warns, reminds, and speaks to us.
Now, you many wonder, “How can I define now when I don't know much about history?” What we need is a history book that doesn’t dodge the errors, mistakes, and horrors of history. Well, don’t worry. There are plenty of books out there that are written clearly and with truth. One of them is “Stamped.”
“Stamped” is a remix of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s “Stamped from the Beginning,” written by Jason Reynolds. A not history history book is the perfect description for it. “Stamped,” a book about racism’s effects on society from six hundred years ago to the present, captures the intensity of then’s weight on now’s shoulders, without missing a detail. We realize things that we didn’t realize before. There will be plenty of “ohs” as you flip through the pages of “Stamped.” This genius piece is the root, perhaps one of the sources of truth and evidence when learning about history. We go into depth about the lives of historical figures such as Angela Davis and even ones that we’ve never heard of like Cotton Mather. We learn about people who chose to be racism’s shadow while others became part of antiracist movements. “Stamped” teaches us that when there’s oppression, there’s resistance. It’s up to us to decide who we want to become in the world.
All in all, “Stamped” is a really powerful history book like no other. It gives us the opportunity to explore the gripping world as it was and as it is. I definitely recommend it for ages 9 to 12, as it appeals to a young adult crowd. It will appeal to many crowds, but especially our crowd, young people, with every young person in it having a mind. These minds will be used to decide their own future, make change, and define now. • ZAIYDE C.