STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation

“Buckle up. Joel Christian Gill and Ibram X. Kendi are absolutely unapologetic. Together, they deliver the facts and will transform everything you thought you already knew about race and racism. This is the one that will provoke the conversations so desperately needed at home, at school, and at work. A masterpiece that can help us grapple with hard truths.”— Safiya Umoja Noble, MacArthur Fellow and author of Algorithms of Oppression

Racism has persisted throughout history—but so have antiracist efforts to dismantle it. Through deep research and a gripping narrative that illuminates the lives of five key American figures, preeminent historian Ibram X. Kendi reveals how understanding and improving the world cannot happen without identifying and facing the racist forces that shape it. In collaboration with award-winning historian and comic artist Joel Christian Gill, this stunningly illustrated graphic-novel adaptation of Dr. Kendi’s groundbreaking Stamped from the Beginning explores, with vivid clarity and dimensionality, the living history of America, and how we can learn from the past to work toward a more equitable, antiracist future. The cartoons are sure to draw your eye at first glance, and combined with the powerful prose you won’t be able to set your copy down.

Dr. Ibram Kendi and Joel Christian Gill will be joining us on the Busboys stage in conversation with Andy Shallal to discuss the newest adaptation in the Stamped from the Beginning series. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and both author and illustrator will be available to sign after the program.

Tickets are available for purchase for this event and are required for entry. Each in-person ticket represents one seat and one copy of STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING (the graphic novel) that will be given to you upon check in. There is an optional add-on to pre-purchase a copy of STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING (REVISED) to be shipped to you by the publication date of June 20th, 2023.

Our program begins at 6:00 pm- there will be no open Q&A and instead you will be able to submit your question during check out/sign up. Copies of STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING will be available for purchase before, during, and after the event. Please note that this event is in person and will NOT be livestreamed.

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University, and the founding director of the BU Center for Antiracist Research. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic. Dr. Kendi is the author of Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, making him the youngest winner of that award. He also produced five #1 New York Times bestsellers, including How to Be an Antiracist, Antiracist Baby, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, co-authored by Jason Reynolds. In 2020, Time magazine named Dr. Kendi one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was awarded a 2021 MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the Genius Grant.

Joel Christian Gill is the Chair of the MFA in Visual Narrative at Boston University. He is a cartoonist and historian who speaks nationally on the importance of sharing stories. He is the author of the acclaimed memoir Fights: One Boy's Triumph Over Violence, cited as one of the best graphic novels of 2020 by The New York Times and for which he was awarded the 2021 Cartoonist Studio Prize. He wrote the words and drew the pictures for Fast Enough: Bessie Stringfield’s First Ride and the award-winning graphic novel series Strange Fruit: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History, and Tales of The Talented Tenth, which tell the stories of Bass Reeves, Bessie Stringfield, and Robert Smalls.

Andy Shallal is an artist, social entrepreneur and founder/CEO of Busboys and Poets, a restaurant group in the Washington Metropolitan area where art, culture and politics intentionally collide over mindfully sourced food, drinks, books and event programming. With six, soon to be seven locations in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, Busboys and Poets has become a home for progressives, artists, creatives and intellectuals, including such notables as Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover, Alice Walker, Angela Davis and the late Howard Zinn. As a leader in the sustainable food movement, Busboys has been recognized locally and nationally for its innovative, conscious cuisine. Under Shallal’s leadership, Busboys has received numerous awards including the Mayor’s Arts Award, Employer of the Year from the Employment Justice Center and the Mayor’s Environmental Award.

Host or Publisher Busboys and Poets