Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You Literary Elements

Young-adult non-fiction

The book chronicles events that have shaped American society from 1415-today.

The text is written from the perspective of authors Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. Reynolds and Kendi use first-person narration in order to create an informative and conversational tone.

The tone is friendly and conversational. The mood is dark, as the book discusses many painful and heavy topics.

This text is non-fiction, so there is not a clear protagonist. The book frames racism as society's antagonist, and it is up to us (the new generation of readers) to be antiracist.

The text centers around many major conflicts that Black people have had to face in the United States. These conflicts include, but are not limited to, abolition, the right to vote, desegregation, and fighting against police brutality.

There is no clear climax in this non-fiction text.

When Abraham Lincoln was running for the U.S. Senate, his platform was confused and hypocritical. His first Senate election would later foreshadow his presidency—Lincoln held contradicting views towards abolition.

President Bush understated the acquittal of Rodney King's attackers. However, Black activists and artists pushed back against the administration in order to highlight how racism is pervasive.

The book is filled with literary and historical allusions. Reynolds alludes to Tarzan and Planet of the Apes for their racist, digestible plot lines. He later traces the influence these works had on culture and society.

Emmett Till's funeral provided a powerful visual image that was distributed in the media nationwide. The coverage of his death and the image of his brutalized body prompted outrage.

There are many parallels between the policies of American presidents past and present. For example, Jefferson's contradictory platform was quite similar to Lincoln's. Centuries later, President Clinton's politics displayed a similar dynamic of making statements in support for antiracism, but enacting policies whose effects further racism.

Racism is personified as a living and breathing evil. The authors encourage the readers to fight actively and be antiracist.