Review--Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America

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Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in AmericaStamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is liable to be the most important book I'll read this year. The author pulls no punches in laying out an indictment of racism in America and skillfully uses language to force the reader to re-evaluate her/his own attitudes toward race.

I liked the concept of taking various individuals and writing about them in the context of the events of their times, from Cotton Mather to Angela Davis. I would recommend Stamped from the Beginning to anyone wishing to understand more about why we've not achieved the post-racial society some had hoped for 50 years ago during the Civil Rights movement. Whether we ever reach that point will remain for future generations to examine.



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