Jason Reynolds — Articles

STAMPED FOR KIDS is the book on racism and antiracism for children (good for ages 8-12, but older kids and adults might find it helpful and relevant to have a look, too.) Authors Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds (along with adapter Sonja Cherry-Paul) guide young readers on a journey of American history from the enslavement of African Americans all the way to the present day movement for Black Lives. The book covers a lot of ground: from the use of literature and science to extol fake ideas and racist hate, to Angela Davis’ advocacy, to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, to the the white supremacist symbolism of the Confederacy. Some of the history we learn in school is not as airbrushed as my fellow Gen Xers may remember from our 1980s public school education. Case in point: Lincoln:

“Lincoln said he wanted slavery to end. Great!
Lincoln said he didn’t think Black people should be treated as equal to White people. Not great.”

I often read books for children without my children to get a sense of tone, pacing, word choice, and how an author explains facts that are somehow now triggering to the radical right. Cherry-Paul expertly amplifies Kendi’s and Reynold’s text, with lots of rhetorical questions, exclamations, and breaks (“let’s pause,” or “whoa, hold-up”). These devices feel organic to the text, and are successful at moving the story along. (It’s a page-flipper, for sure.)

The great gift of STAMPED is the clear explanation of the word Antiracist. There are Segregationists (haters), Assimilationists (“people who like you only if you act like them”) and Antiracists (who “love you because you are you”). With the big takeaway that people can change. We can learn, expand our worldview and change the way we think about something.

If this is the future of textbooks, sign me up. And max out our library budgets, from sea to shining sea.