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1-Page Summary of Stamped
Overview
Stamped is a book about racism in the United States, and it’s organized into five sections. Each section covers different time periods and includes narratives of individuals who were influential during that time period. These people include Puritan minister Cotton Mather, President Thomas Jefferson, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, scholar W.E.B. Du Bois, and anti-prison activist Angela Davis.
The authors begin by introducing Gomes Eanes de Zurara, a Portuguese chronicler who lived in the 15th century. He wrote about how Portugal was trying to civilize and Christianize Africans. The Portuguese felt that it was their duty to do this because they believed Africans were savages. Later on, Cotton Mather (an important Puritan minister) used Zurara’s writings as justification for slavery in America. Reynolds and Kendi connect these two stories together to show how narrative storytelling can influence generations even hundreds of years later. Stamped is meant to reclaim the role of chronicler and depict the harsh realities of slavery while also showing its inherent bias throughout history books so that we can identify racism more easily today.
Section II of the book discusses the events that took place between 1743-1826, also known as the Enlightenment Era. The authors assert that this era was a great intellectual renaissance and it marked the beginning of modern times when scientific knowledge became popularized and democracy spread in many countries. However, they argue that there were some flaws in this era because racism was deeply embedded into these philosophies; thus, they claim that we need to analyze those hypocrisies rather than idealize our so called founding fathers for valuing individualism and freedom since they prevented Black people from having these rights.
Section III covers the years from 1826 to 1879. This period is significant because it was when William Lloyd Garrison emerged as an influential abolitionist thinker. He gained notoriety for his newspaper, The Liberator, which he used to advocate against slavery. In addition, the authors point out that Garrison wasn’t a savior of slaves; initially, he had a fear of integrating former slaves into White society but later recognized the flaws in his thinking and adjusted his perspectives. The story of William Lloyd Garrison demonstrates one of America’s first public-facing white antiracists who used their societal privilege to influence people that wouldn’t listen to Black abolitionists’ arguments about slavery being wrong. Therefore, Kendi and Reynolds believe that we should learn from this example by using our own societal privilege today in order to dismantle systematic racism.
Section IV covers events from 1868-1963. W.E.B Du Bois is introduced as the king of “uplift suasion” because he encouraged Black people to integrate into American society by competing with white people. Reynolds and Kendi expose the complex and racist thinking of Du Bois, who prided himself on exceptionalism and blamed Black people for being mistreated. Du Bois exemplifies how white supremacy and racism have historically been internalized by Black people but also argues that they can change their perspectives over time to become antiracists like himself.
Section V traces events from 1963 to the present. It focuses on activist Angela Davis and her work in social justice movements. She disrupted societal constructions of race, gender, capitalism, and heterosexism by working with various groups that had different ideologies. Throughout her career she struggled to find a place within those groups because they were either “too white,” “too capitalist,” or “too male-dominated.” She argues that racism, sexism, capitalism, and heterosexism compound our oppression; therefore we must work collectively towards the collective liberation of all people. By concluding the book with Davis’ work as an activist leader in antiracism efforts worldwide, Reynolds and Kendi emphasize how important it is for us to fight against all forms of discrimination simultaneously if we want true equality for everyone.
