Hello, Mr.Kendi or Mr.Jason.
You don’t know me, and will most likely never meet me, but even though we are strangers to one another, your book Stamped has given me lessons and knowledge I would’ve never learned from anywhere else.
I stumbled upon this book in my English class, my teacher offered three books on which we had to choose one for a project. Stamped was one of the options, and the first one I picked because I love history and thought this was just going to be another “here is the date, and here is what happened” kind of book. But to my surprise, you’ve written something I’ve never read before, a mix of history with a story telling like if you and I (The reader) had an ordinary conversation.
This book quickly cached my attention and even my classmates attention just by the introduction. While we discussed the intro, we all agreed that we loved the way you two introduce yourselves and the current problems we face today.
As I kept reading, I learned about many interesting people who changed the course of history that being for the good or bad. Also many dates that are now stuck in my brain and that’ve researched for way to much time into leading myself into rabbit holes (I should go outside more often)
But, everything has to end, and so did your book. When I read that last part, that the time was now, I really did what you told me. I took a deep breath and just felt relieved, not only because I accomplished finishing the book, but also because of the message you gave. I knew that racism is bad, even before I read this book, but I just don’t understand how all of this hate can still happen today. I want to fight for not only African American’s rights, freedom and rights for everyone, and now your book had given me more strength to keep working on this dream. I hope the message you really wanted to give is to inspire people like me to continue fighting, but if that wasn’t the true meaning of your book, it is what I took form it, I hope it is close to your initial thought though!
I’ve started to read the big boy book “Stamped from the beginning” with a couple of other history books, and it is very much as amazing and interesting as this book.
I hope you keep writing for the things you are passionate about, and success keeps coming at you! You deserve it by the way you write and your impactful messages that inspire. I hope in our lifetime we can see finally a world of peace and equality, and who knows, perhaps in the future we will meet! But for now, stay safe, 6th feet away from any other human being and get be protected from the ugly coronavirus.
Sincerely,
Ashley Tatiana Manrique Puentes.
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