Sam Strives for 55 - Week 2

Here is week 2 of Sam's reading journey, the metrics and first week can be found here

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X Kendi

1. Intrigue
   
   1. This book is a slimmed down version of Dr. Kendi’s original work Stamped from the Beginning. Jason Reynolds is an incredible children’s book author and a Black man who took Dr. Kendi’s original work and shaved it down for children to be able to read. I read it to see if it would be a good fit for my English class. The answer was yes. The discussion around the history of racism in the United States, along with what an Antiracist is was fascinating and compact. 
      
2. Writing Style
   
   1. If you want a streamlined fiction story for the middle school age, go find a copy of Ghost by Jason Reynolds. If you want in-depth discussions about race, you couldn’t find someone alive better than Dr. Kendi. So, it’s no wonder that the book is expertly written. Not a single word seems out of place in each sentence. 
      
3. Flow of storytelling
   
   1. As noted before the context portion of this book, the way Dr. Kendi and Reynolds go through the history of racism in the US is absolutely incredible. Haven’t read something that seems to fill in a blank puzzle piece and click nicely as that all year. 
      
4. Re-readability 
   
   1. A book I keep on my desk for reference. Absolutely re-readable. 
      
   2. Juicy quote: “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, and change the face of the the forest.”
      
      1. ― Jason Reynolds, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
         
5. TESS
   
   1. What makes this book so special is the ease of understanding around complex issues. Chef’s kiss to the clarity of the sentence structure. 
      

Final Rating: ★★★★★

J. Sam Williams is an illustrious black-tailed hawk, longing to eat as many vegan mice as possible. In his human form, he is a High School English Teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he lives with his wife, one dog and two cats. A somewhat retired breakdancing teacher, he is now a co-host on the Alohomora Podcast! He has been published on Lunch Ticket, immix: a journal for justice, Mugglenet, and a slew of small sports journalism publications. You can find him on twitter @Jabbernator.

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