"If you have read one Kendi book, you have read them all. And whether one agrees or disagrees with his arguments, they are the very opposite of complex. He thinks in binaries. For Kendi, there are no ambiguities when it comes to understanding racism, no shades of grey... This definition is excellent, but Kendi has never demonstrated any aptitude for the qualities he lists. He is not interested in complicating, but in simplifying. He is not reflective or inquisitive, but dogmatic... We are often told that we need to discuss racism more openly, but the popularity of a thinker such as Kendi illustrates how hollow this pronouncement is. It also reflects poorly on the broader state of our intellectual culture. We need to treat racism with greater sophistication, but in his books there is little room for insightful discussion or debate. Kendi doesn’t offer true illumination, only thought-terminating bromides."
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Academics from the United StatesNon-fiction authors from the United StatesJournalists from the United StatesHistorians from the United StatesAfrican Americans
Original Language: English
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Book review by Tomiwa Owolade, New Statesman, 20 July 2022
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ibram_X._Kendi
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Ibram X. Kendi
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