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Stamped: Who Were They Really?

  • Taelor J.
  • Saturday, February 20
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"The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. Racist ideas are woven into the fabric of this country, and the first step to building an antiracist America is acknowledging America's racist past and present." - Jason Reynolds.

In this special episode of BookTube, our community of close readers asks award-winning author Jason Reynolds about his new book, Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You. Co-author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi chimes in to help explain the book’s origins.

________________________________________________________________________________

To know the past is to know the present. To know the present is to know yourself.

There are a handful of people "taught" in school year after year after year AFTER YEAR! But what do we truly know about these people? Who were they really? Were they really as great as the history text books make them out to be? The answer is basically no. Most of the history taught is full of "alternative facts", miss truths, distortions, and even flat out lies. A glorified version of history. One of the many things I love about Jason Reynolds is that he is not afraid to tell the truth. He makes it a habit to not tell lies. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You takes a complicated and difficult subject, racism, and turns it into an interesting, entertaining and honest journey through history. But remember this is NOT a history book!

You will hear the names of people you hear about every February, W.E.B DuBois, Booker T. Washington, Fredric Douglass, and many of the things you read will most likely be surprising and yes, these people might not sound so "awesome" afterward. 

Now don't get me wrong these people did some very important things that have helped shape America as we know it now. They were considered thought leaders of their time. They struggled with some of the same things you may struggle with today. Do I do my best to simply fit in with White America, assimilate? Or do I embrace my race, identity, and culture to fight back and stand up against oppression and racist tactics used against Black people?    

Don't ever forget that being Black is joyous! I’m going to end with a quote from Jason Reynolds,  “We can’t attack a thing we don’t know, that’s dangerous. And…foolish. It would be like trying to chop down a tree from the top of it. If we understand how the tree works, how the trunk and roots are where the power lies, and how gravity is on our side, we can attack it, each of us with small axes we can change the face of the forest. So, let’s learn all there is to know about the tree of racism. The Root. The Fruit. The Sap and the Trunk. The nest built over time. The changing leaves. That way, your generation can finally, actively chop it down.”

 

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Want to learn more about Racism and it's History in America?

Take a look at the following booklist:

We Are Not Yet Equal

We Are Not Yet Equal

Understanding Our Racial Divide
Anderson, Carol (Carol Elaine), author.
Published in 2018
270 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Hold
Book
 
Roots of Racism

Roots of Racism

Bakshi, Kelly, 1972- author.
Published in 2018
112 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 23 cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Find
Book
 
Dark Sky Rising

Dark Sky Rising

Bolden, Tonya.
Published in 2019
digital
Find
Eaudiobook
 
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People

Dunbar-Ortiz, Roxanne, 1938-
Published in 2019
text file
Find
Ebook
 
What Are Race and Racism?

What Are Race and Racism?

Edwards, Sue Bradford, author.
Published in 2018
112 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 104-109) and index.
Find
Book
 
A Few Red Drops

A Few Red Drops

The Chicago Race Riots of 1919
Hartfield, Claire, author.
Published in 2018
198 pages : illustrations ; 27 cm
Includes bibliographical references (pages 182-189) and index.
Find
Book
 
This Book is Anti-racist

This Book is Anti-racist

Jewell, Tiffany.
Published in 2020
60 pages : color illustrations ; 20 cm
Find
Book
 
Lies My Teacher Told Me

Lies My Teacher Told Me

Loewen, James W.
Published in 2018
Find
Ebook
 
Lies My Teacher Told Me

Lies My Teacher Told Me

Everything American History Textbooks Get Wrong
Loewen, James W., author.
Published in 2019
xviii, 282 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Hold
Book
 

If you are inspired to learn more or make a difference, take part in these important conversations centering race, equity and inclusion.  Find more resources about race, equity and inclusion, here.

Author

Taelor J.

Children's Room Associate

Tags
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Good for Teens
History
Audience
Parents
9-12 years
Teens (12-18 years)

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