Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s latest book, a middle school-level reworking of Zora Neale Hurston’s “Barracoon: The Story of the ‘Last Cargo’” introduces young people to Cudjo Lewis, one of the last survivors of the Middle Passage whom Hurston interviewed during the early 20th century.
Hurston unsuccessfully attempted to get “Barracoon” published, due to the preservation of Lewis’ language in the manuscript and her depiction of Africans’ involvement in the slave trade. Amistad Press published the book in 2018 — nearly 60 years after her death.
In explaining why he chose to adapt Hurston’s posthumously released work, Kendi called it quite possibly one of the best tools for countering ahistorical narratives about the African-American experience. More importantly, he added, this adaptation drives home the point that African-American history started in Africa, not in bondage in the U.S..
“‘Barracoon’ allows young people to realize that we identify as African Americans, Black Americans or Black people, but ultimately we’re African people,” Kendi told The Informer.
“Many African Americans do not want to connect themselves and their personal histories to Africa because they were told a lie about Africa being a wasteland,” he continued. “This story shows them that Cudjo and others experience Alabama and don’t want to be here and they named their own town Africatown.”
On Wednesday, Kendi appeared before more than 300 students, faculty and staff members at Jefferson Middle School Academy in Southwest. The event, coordinated by award-winning Jefferson librarian K.C. Boyd and local nonprofit An Open Book Foundation, allowed students to learn more about Kendi’s professional journey and gather his thoughts about contemporary issues.
Guests included Washington Teachers’ Union president Jacqueline Pogue-Lyons. The program opened with seventh grader Aden Vasquez’s introduction of Kendi. Soon after, Boyd, along with eighth graders Sanaa Wilson and Jide George, engaged Kendi in dialogue on stage.
Kendi, Boyd, Sanaa and Jide sat around a coffee table showcasing copies of Kendi’s “Barracoon” adaptation, the middle school-level adaptation of his 2016 book, “Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America,” and his 2022 book “Good Night Racism.”
Topics the quartet discussed included how Kendi overcame GOP legislators’ mention of his book, “Antiracist Baby,” during the Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation hearings, the development of his interests in African-American history and internalized racism, and “Barracoon’s” emphasis on Lewis’ speech, which is an infusion of English and African languages.
Students in the audience later inquired about Kendi’s writing process, what inspired his pursuit of the truth, and how he, as a researcher, deciphers the truth from lies. In his responses, Kendi evoked Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, and Sandra Bland, all of whom died at the hands of white vigilantes, during police encounters, or while in police custody.
To some students’ amazement, Kendi revealed that writing children’s books takes him anywhere between six months and two years, while he dedicates anywhere between a year and four years to completing his adult-level works.
At the end of the program, students later received copies of “Barracoon.” Kendi in turn received a collection of letters from sixth graders who, after reading the middle school version of “Stamped,” had much to say about their experiences with racism.
The event evoked a bevy of feelings among Jefferson students. Jide, 13, told The Informer that learning about Kendi’s writing process inspired him to increase his focus as he works to achieve his goals of becoming an NBA player and doctor.
“I learned that if you want to succeed, you have to work hard for it,” Jide said.
“Sometimes writing gets annoying but when I’m silent and locked in, I can write creatively and it makes me feel different from everyone else,” he continued. “It makes me change how I act and how I speak. It helps my mindset get stronger.”
For Sanaa, the key takeaways from Kendi’s visit were his journey as an author and the historical development of systems that diminish Black pride.
“It was informative to hear Dr. Kendi’s thoughts about the writing process,” Sanaa said. “I like hearing what inspired him to become an author and what brought him to this level. I read his book about anti-racism and learned what systems were created. It helps me as a young person to not internalize the wrong ideas.”
Aden, a self-described avid reader, called Kendi’s appearance, and the messages in his books, a call to action for young people.
“It feels great to know that someone else who is Black is going through these problems and can identify why the higher ranks are looking down on Black people,” Aden told The Informer. “I hope that my peers understand Black struggles and see each other on an equal level in some way.”
Over the past 12 years, Kendi wrote 15 books, nine of which became New York Times best sellers. He currently serves as the Andrew W. Mellon professor in the humanities at Boston University (BU), director of the BU Center for Antiracist Research, contributing writer for The Atlantic and CBS News racial justice contributor.
Kendi’s visit counts among more than 160 events An Open Book Foundation plans to host at and for schools in the D.C. metropolitan area this academic year.
Hours after Kendi left Jefferson Middle School Academy, An Open Book Foundation brought Ellen Oh, CEO of We Need Diverse Books, to Brookhaven Elementary School in Rockville, Maryland.
Months earlier, the foundation brought the entire Eliot-Hine Middle School student body to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Northwest to watch a production of Jason Reynolds’ 2019 novel “Look Both Ways.”
Future D.C. events include Hena Khan’s visit to Friendship Southeast Academy on Feb. 6. On Feb. 15, students from Phelps Architecture, Construction, and Engineering High School in Northeast will visit Planet Word Museum in Northwest to meet Tony Keith Jr., who’s showcasing his first book, “How the Boogeyman Became a Poet.”
Heidi Powell, co-founder and executive director of An Open Book Foundation, told The Informer that Kendi’s visit to Jefferson, along with several other events, help fulfill the foundation’s mission of nurturing a lifelong love of reading within District-area youths.
“We look for authors who can speak about their own lived experiences and share their content with students,” Powell said. “Dr. Kendi resonates with students. We want to find the right books for students and get them excited by connecting them with the creators. It gets them really interested in reading.”