Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You Essay Questions

What is the role of storytelling in Stamped?

In 1415, Gomes Eanes de Zurara used storytelling to depict the colonization by the Portuguese government in a heroic manner. Zurara’s account was influential across Europe, and other European writers and scholars developed theories to justify the enslavement of Africans. This idea affected European thought, and this idea of white superiority was brought to the United States.

In the 19th century, The Narrative of Sojourner Truth was one of the first accounts that described what it was like to be an enslaved woman. Sojourner Truth’s account inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe, a white woman, to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Despite its dehumanizing depiction of black people, Uncle Tom’s Cabin prompted many Northerners to support abolitionism by linking abolition to Christian morality. This wave of narratives set the stage for Abraham Lincoln’s political leadership.

In the early 20th century, Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote Tarzan of the Apes. In Tarzan, the main character protects a white woman from being killed by Africans. Africans were depicted as savage and a threat to white women. This idea deeply infiltrated American society, and black men were seen as a disruption to White patriarchal society. Following Tarzan, an incredibly racist movie by D.W. Griffith called The Birth of a Nation was released. Like Tarzan, The Birth of a Nation promoted a terribly harmful narrative that depicted black men as threatening savages.

In each of these examples, storytelling provided a digestible narrative that profoundly shaped American society and values. The lessons that these stories conveyed would later manifest into legislature and policies that continue to exist in today's world.

What is the difference between segregationists, assimilationists, and antiracists? What roles have each of these groups played throughout history?

Segregationists are people that aim to keep Black and white citizens separate. Assimilationists are described as individuals that want racial integration, but not the full dismantling of oppressive systems. Antiracists actively work to end racial inequalities. Many major American leaders were segregationists. For example, Jefferson Davis, the leader of the South during the secession, was deeply committed to excluding Black citizens from white society. Other influential thinkers and leaders were assimilationists, like W.E.B. Du Bois in his early writings. Another contemporary example is Clarence Thomas, who was nominated to the Supreme Court in 1991, and who held staunch assimilationist views. Angela Davis and Malcolm X are two examples of antiracists who used their positions of power to advocate for the abolition of oppressive systems.

How has religion shaped racism in America?

In the first section of the book, Reynolds paints a picture of John Cotton and Richard Mather, two 17th-century Puritan ministers who were founding members of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Cotton and Mather created a hierarchy within their society that valued Puritan life over the lives of others. They specifically oppressed Black and Native populations, and they argued that Black people were evil and cursed by God. Cotton and Mather also established the first university in the United States—Harvard. In these ways, Cotton and Mather embedded their racist teachings into the religious and educational systems of the United States.

Two generations later, a preacher named Cotton Mather (a descendent of both John Cotton and Richard Mather) would also use his religious teachings to promote his own personal, racist agenda. Cotton Mather, a wealthy intellectual from an elite family, was worried that the 1688 revolution would cause him to be “dethroned.” As a result of this looming threat, Cotton Mather started a witch hunt as a distraction. In all written accounts of witches and dark magic, the devil was portrayed as Black. In this way, Black people were depicted as criminals and villains. People became threatened by the growing Black population, and new laws were passed. These racist codes banned interracial relationships and prevented Black citizens from holding office.

In the 1800s, Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin. Despite its dehumanizing depiction of Black people, Uncle Tom’s Cabin prompted many Northerners to associate abolitionism with Christianity and thus joint the movement. This narrative set the stage for Abraham Lincoln’s political leadership.

How have different leaders transformed their politics throughout American history?

In Stamped, the authors chronicle how some progressive, forward-thinking individuals ultimately fell into assimilationist action. For example, although William Lloyd Garrison circulated important literature surrounding abolition, he did not advocate for the full integration of former slaves into society. He was later inspired by other progressive figures and changed his position. Centuries later, W.E.B. Du Bois aimed to push back against racism by championing "Black Excellence." Later in his career, he realized how his agenda excluded those that were not well-educated or light-skinned. Du Bois then adjusted his politics to reflect a radical, anti-racist stance.

What are the dangers of supporting a single-sided view of history? How does Stamped push against these conclusions?

Throughout Stamped, Reynolds and Kendi encourage the reader to question the narratives that are often taught in American history books. Although children are conditioned to classify the behaviors of major leaders and characterize these figures as "good" or "bad," the authors reiterate that human nature is more complex than that. In this way, Reynolds and Kendi reiterate the importance of not hastily jumping to moral conclusions when analyzing the key figures in American history. Instead, it is necessary to analyze the policies and actions of each individual and understand the complex contradictions therein. More specifically, the authors highlight the hypocrisy behind the leaders that have a "heroic" legacy, such as Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. Stamped explores the contradictory and hypocritical views that Jefferson and Lincoln held. Both leaders were racist, and they drafted legislation that further disenfranchised slaves and promoted racism. Both Jefferson and Lincoln were inextricably tied to the economic benefits of slavery, and they were unable to separate their moral politics from their wallets.