How to Be a (Young) Antiracist

November 15, 2022
As Jason Reynolds did with Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (2020), a teen edition of Kendi's National Book Award-winning Stamped From the Beginning (2016), Stone puts her own distinctive spin on Kendi's personal exploration of anti-racism in his widely acclaimed 2019 title, How To Be an Antiracist. The original work is part memoir, and Stone approaches this in her adaptation by addressing Kendi in the second person as she explicates and contextualizes the epiphanies that brought him to anti-racism, placing the concepts themselves center stage. She switches comfortably between informal and formal modes, even within single passages: "In the 1960s--yeaaaaaars before you were born--President Lyndon B. Johnson implemented Affirmative Action...with the aim of leveling the employment playing field (creating more equity) between White dudes and women and non-White people as a means of expanding employment opportunities for people of color and women." Frequent faux Post-its labeled "NIC'S NOTES" offer further context and commentary. "Peep this quote from racist policymaker Thomas Jefferson," one begins. With key concepts set in boldface, the narrative bristles with definitions as it moves back and forth from Kendi's life to his taxonomy of racism, always touching back on how his own internalized racism inflects on it. Though it's too easy to lose track of whether Stone is addressing "you, IXK," or "you, dear reader," it's a notably effective adaptation. Successfully broadens the reach of the original to a younger audience. (endnotes) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

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Starred review from April 28, 2023

Gr 9 Up-This is not a simplification of the bestselling How To Be An Antiracist for the YA audience. Instead, Stone starts with a thriller-like opening, by delivering Kendi's college acceptance letter into his hands via his father (with whom there is some friction) right before delivering, perhaps, the most racist speech of his life. Drop mic. What? Young adults will be on the edge of their seats, wondering what sort of alternate universe they have wandered into. This is how the authors strip back and flip everything readers know about how they think and the language they use, even carelessly, every day. The next section takes on definitions, and why they matter; it is impossible to discuss anything and align values without definitions, whether it is a bicycle or Christianity. This is sturdy stuff, but it will take committed teenagers to absorb the material which is never less than compelling. "Nic's Notes," appearing in Post-It-like graphics to set the record straight on terms such as "race-neutral policies" (no such thing) perform perfectly as wise elder-slash-emcee to remind readers that they will need to keep their skepticism set to "high" when evaluating anything official. Through a second-person narration, Stone writes of Kendi's life, his own awakening alongside his parents', the history happening all around them, from Lyndon Johnson's affirmative action in his parents' time to Nixon's resignation, and his classroom eyes on matters of race, inequality, genetics, and always this "why?" inside his head that will not be silent. Back matter includes afterword, end notes, and more. VERDICT Heartbreaking, soaring, fulfilling, a deep-dive, this should be canon in high school classrooms and reprinted in pocket-size format for carrying around.-Kimberly Olson Fakih

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September 8, 2023
Grades 7-12 *Starred Review* Popular author Stone has done a heroic job of restructuring Kendi's best-selling adult book for young readers, deleting some chapters and reordering those surviving. But, more importantly, she becomes the narrator of Kendi's material, often addressing him directly (e.g., "Yes, okay, you want to get on with your story . . ."). Never modest, the witty Stone calls herself "the fabulous narrator of your (nonlinear) life's journey to antiracism." As that narrator, she has divided Kendi's story into three parts: "INSIDE: Facing Yourself," "OUTSIDE: Facing the World," and "UPSIDE DOWN: Flipping the World Over." Evidencing the book's challenging complexity, Stone begins it with a veritable smorgasbord of definitions that set the stage for the material to follow. Closely reasoned and intellectually sophisticated, the ensuing book demands readers' careful attention for comprehension. Assisting that process, important terms are highlighted throughout. Also helpful are "Nic's Notes," which--presented in the form of sticky notes--comment on the accompanying text; for instance, "pause to listen, investigate and reflect." This important book is sure to inspire in those who do listen, investigate, and reflect on "that dastardly villain racism," much welcome discussion and debate both in and out of the classroom. It's essential reading.

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