Stamped from the Beginning

Narrator Christopher Dontrell Piper guides listeners through this complex history of racist, assimilationist, and antiracist ideas with a deep voice and clear projection. Weaving together five philosophical biographies--those of Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, William Lloyd Garrison, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Angela Davis--the author covers 500 years of racist infiltration of American thought. Piper narrates best when Kendi's prose is emotional or emphatic. But Piper has trouble maintaining an engaging delivery during the more factual content that Kendi must lay out in order to tap into the poignant elements of his argument. Kendi's history will challenge many, including those who fight racial inequality, but with his superb attention to detail, sophisticated arguments, and abundance of primary sources, listeners will find it hard not to see his points. L.E. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine