“What is wrong with black people?” These are the first words spoken in the captivating Netflix “documentary” Stamped from the Beginning. Adapted from the bestseller Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by self-proclaimed antiracist ”intellectual” Ibram X. Kendi, this film takes viewers on a thrilling journey through six centuries of racism to uncover the origins of “anti-blackness.” Critics have hailed it as “heart-poundingly persuasive,” “radical,” and “well-paced and affecting.” However, despite the accolades, the end product is shockingly terrible.
Radical Black Women Only
One of the major issues with the film lies in its choice of experts. Kendi himself serves as the primary narrator, accompanied by a lineup of hard-left activists and professors, all of whom are black women. Director Roger Ross Williams intentionally selected this group to reinforce the film’s message, stating that “Black women were always at the forefront of the resistance movement and, in my eyes, never get their due.” Reviewers have praised their candidness, but their biased statements, such as calling Thomas Jefferson “full of sh-t,” do not lend credibility to the historical claims made.
The roster of commentators includes esteemed figures like Dorothy Roberts, Imani Perry, Elizabeth Hinton, Lynae Vanee, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, Brittney Cooper, Carol Anderson, Cori Bush, and the influential Angela Davis. These women possess numerous graduate degrees, have authored multiple books, and even have vice presidential candidacies under their belts. However, it is important to note that Davis has also faced criminal charges related to terrorism. Despite their accomplishments, their lack of objectivity is evident in their statements.
The blatant bias of the presenters is just one of the many flaws in “Stamped from the Beginning.”
Lies, Errors, and Distortions
For a film presented as a straight historical documentary telling the real truth about anti-blackness, it is chock-full of factual errors, historical misrepresentations, and deliberate lies.
The famed Portuguese supporter of exploration, Prince Henry the Navigator, is said to have been motivated primarily by the quest for slaves and invented anti-blackness as a rationale for enslavement. This is untrue.
Not only would Henry not need a justification for slavery — something viewed as unproblematic in the 1400s — but he was not looking for bodies to exploit. He was moved instead by his religious desire to combat Muslim foes and convert others, the potentially lucrative trade in gold, and the importance of prestige through knowledge generation in 15th-century Europe.
“Stamped” heavily misrepresents Bacon’s Rebellion, the 17th-century uprising that presaged the American Revolution. The film argues that this colonial Virginia insurrection, which seriously threatened the stability of English rule in its oldest American colony, was a multiracial fight against inequality and the oppression of slavery and indentured servitude. It is compared directly to the 1968 race riots, Occupy Wall Street, and 2020’s summer of violence.
In reality, the rebellion was a complex combination of an internecine elite feud, broad revolt against unfair mercantilist economics, and an anti-Indian crusade for land. Were both black and white people involved in the action? Yes. Was that at all the purpose of said action? Certainly not.
The “Myth of the Black Criminal” segment contains myriad omissions and distortions that obliterate its central contentions — that modern policing is the equivalent of lynching, that white violence is ignored while black violence is exaggerated, and that blacks are being “massacred” by the forces of “white supremacy.”
The greatest issue here is the complete absence of population-adjusted statistics on crime. When one sees the numbers, it is clear that black criminality — and, concurrently, black victimhood — is highly disproportionate to population size. African Americans comprise about 14 percent of the population but account for 26.6 percent of arrests. This includes 51 percent of murder arrests, 53 percent of robbery arrests, and 27 percent of rape arrests. These are decidedly inconvenient facts for the experts in “Stamped,” so they disregard them.
Another malicious falsification or egregious error is the discussion of “King Kong” as a racist film that dehumanizes blacks. In a montage of purportedly anti-black propaganda, a poster is displayed, showing an angry black ape holding a partially nude white woman with the text “Destroy this mad brute.” The problem is that this cartoon is not anti-black but anti-German. It is an American WWI recruiting poster, as can be seen in the full image. The ape is sporting a Kaiser mustache, wears a Pickelhaube marked with “Militarism,” and holds a club labeled Kultur. The word “Enlist” rests below. One could see this as a hilarious mistake, but the cropping of the poster is quite suspicious.
The dissembling on matters of historical fact and interpretation is bad, but so is the film’s broader message.
Anti-White Racism
One pernicious theme is the differential treatment of whites and blacks. “Stamped” routinely depicts white people as a monolithic bloc. The film ascribes actions, motivations, and ideas to the phenomenon of “whiteness” itself. Fitting with the premise of the documentary, “whiteness” is treated as inherently evil. Among its negative aspects are hatred of “black excellence,” insatiable hunger for power and the willingness to “do anything” to keep it, and the centuries-long torment and repression of “black, brown, and tan people.” White people are grouped into a coherent and malevolent whole, blamed in the present for the sins of the past. They hold all the power and choose to laser-focus it on exploiting everyone else.
Blacks are treated entirely differently, depending on what works in the moment. Sometimes they are treated as individuals with the agency to break through the racist system and challenge white supremacy. The film centers stories of individual black women, excising the white people who aided in their success. The publication of Phillis Wheatley’s poetry and Harriet Jacobs’ slave narrative leaves out the white publishers who brought these works to print. The contributions of white people to the abolition of slavery are severely downplayed, including the omission of the myriad Americans who died to end it.
At the same time, “Stamped” lumps blacks together as an oppressed group lacking agency when convenient. Blame for black violence and other poor outcomes is placed on a racist system that cannot be overcome. The shackles of history weigh heavily on the present. Blacks are put in an agency.
Superposition is a concept that allows individuals to navigate their own path while also facing the oppressive forces of whiteness. It’s a powerful idea that resonates throughout the film, even though it may not reflect reality.
Conflation and Deceptive Juxtapositions
“Stamped” cleverly presents its radical ideas through a skillful combination of imagery, voiceover, and thought-provoking comparisons to historical injustices. It skillfully blends offensive blackface portrayals with realistic depictions of urban crime in films, including clips from black directors.
The film portrays white people as villains throughout history by juxtaposing imagery of the Ku Klux Klan, slavedrivers, and neo-Nazis with footage from Trump rallies. It even equates the 18th-century interrogation of Wheatley with modern congressional hearings for Anita Hill and Ketanji Brown-Jackson. The film also highlights the concept of “white privilege” and anti-black racism by showing inoffensive footage of white families, including children. This approach is not subtle and seems to fuel animosity towards white individuals.
The film confidently presents these radical ideas as if they were common knowledge. It describes black crime and drug issues as tools used by white supremacy to maintain racial dominance through “order.” However, this portrayal contradicts reality, as black people actually support similar or higher levels of policing compared to white people. Additionally, the film promotes the radical sentiment of defunding the police.
The film justifies violent riots as rebellions against white supremacy. It portrays white individuals who volunteer to help black communities as “white saviors” with malicious intentions. The film also presents the outrageous theory that the wealthy white elite have conspired for centuries to unite whites against blacks, perpetuating the oppression of the lower class while hiding their immense power. These claims are presented as undeniable facts by so-called “experts,” but they are truly absurd.
The Antiracist Express
All of the absurdity and fabrication in this documentary serves one purpose: to establish Kendi’s radical ideology of antiracism as the only acceptable path forward. Anyone who refuses to accept the “truth” that modern Western society is as racist as it was in 1619 is labeled a denialist and cast as a bigot.
Interestingly, the film consistently attacks liberals, portraying them as part of the white power structure that seeks to maintain its racist dominance. Even President Joe Biden, former President Bill Clinton, the musical “Hamilton,” CNN host Don Lemon, and former President Barack Obama are included in this critique.
According to Kendi and his followers, there are only two sides: racist and antiracist. If you’re not actively antiracist, you’re automatically considered racist. There is no room for compromise with this ideology. It’s up to us to confront and defeat this toxic worldview if we want to preserve the blessings of America for future generations. And if “Stamped from the Beginning” is the best they can offer, then it should be a relatively straightforward task.
What impact does the omission of crucial information, such as Michael Brown’s involvement in a strong-arm robbery and assault, have on the film’s credibility and portrayal of racial bias?
State-sanctioned violence against black people and that the criminal justice system disproportionately targets and punishes black individuals. The film makes sweeping generalizations and fails to provide the necessary context and evidence to support these claims.
For example, the film wrongly suggests that the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, was an unprovoked act of violence based solely on racial bias. It conveniently ignores the fact that Brown had just committed a strong-arm robbery and assaulted a police officer prior to the encounter. This information is crucial to understanding the sequence of events, but ”Stamped from the Beginning” chooses to omit it.
The film also fails to acknowledge the higher crime rates in predominantly black neighborhoods, a factor that contributes to police presence and the targeting of those areas. It instead presents a one-sided narrative that portrays black individuals as victims and ignores the complex societal issues at play.
Claim
Reality
Police disproportionately target black individuals
Crime rates are higher in predominantly black neighborhoods, leading to increased police presence
Police use excessive force against black individuals
Police encounters with black individuals are often a result of resistance or non-compliance
The criminal justice system is racist
The criminal justice system is complex and influenced by multiple factors, including crime rates and socioeconomic disparities
The film also neglects to mention the numerous initiatives and reforms that have been implemented in recent years to address concerns around racial bias and police misconduct. These include the implementation of body cameras, increased training on de-escalation techniques, and the establishment of oversight boards to hold law enforcement accountable.
Overall, “Stamped from the Beginning” fails to provide a balanced and accurate portrayal of the issues it examines. Its biased selection of experts, factual errors, and distortions undermine its credibility and detract from any valuable insights it may offer. It is important for viewers to approach this film with a critical eye and seek additional sources of information to form a more complete understanding of the complex issues surrounding race and racism in America.
Conclusion
While “Stamped from the Beginning” may be lauded by some critics for its provocative and confrontational approach, it ultimately falls short in delivering an objective and comprehensive account of the history and contemporary manifestations of racism. By relying on biased experts and presenting misleading information, the film undermines its own credibility and fails to provide the necessary context to understand the complexities of the issues at hand.
To truly engage with the topic of racism and work towards a more inclusive and equitable society, it is essential to seek out diverse perspectives, critically evaluate information, and engage in open and honest dialogue. ”Stamped from the Beginning” may serve as a starting point for discussions, but it should not be taken as the definitive source on the subject.
As viewers, we must challenge ourselves to critically analyze the media we consume and actively seek out a broad range of viewpoints and sources. Only by doing so can we gain a deeper understanding of the complex issues of race and racism and work towards meaningful change.
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