In reading Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, I was curious about how Kendi's views have adapted in the wake of COVID-19, the Trump/Biden Presidential Election, and the subsequent January 6 Insurrection. His initial impetus for writing this book stemmed from the Obama/Trump elections and the Black Lives Matter movement, but the current status of politics in America seems to have only become more polarized since, and in many instances more radically and openly racist. I wonder if the three-pronged view that Kendi paints is slowly evolving into a two-pronged view in modern America, as more people are forced to confront and react to their own racial views and inherent biases. Does Kendi see these three groups evolving, as more scholarship comes out on racial biases and critical race theory? Are assimilationists slowly splitting into the racist and antiracist camps, or are they instead manifesting in new ways today? How does Kendi see the status of assimilationists in the America of 2022? How might that status evolve in the future?
Overall, I enjoyed the book, though I had a few issues regarding how Kendi supported his arguments. Kendi has a habit of writing conclusory statements without citing any sources and then continuing as if those statements proved his points. While his points often seemed valid, the lack of citation meant a lack of support that I found a bit frustrating. However, his sweeping analysis of racial ideas in America was a thought-provoking road to follow and certainly made me reconsider both my own ideas on race and racial analysis, as well as how these ideas present themselves in American and Western society.