We usually think that ideas lead to policies. But a book by NEA Higher Ed member Ibram X. Kendi argues persuasively that it’s actually the other way around.
The book, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, walks us through the centuries to show how racist policies and discriminatory actions have led people to hold—and spread—racist ideas to justify them. You can read a fascinating Q&A with Kendi in the Winter 2017 edition of Thought & Action. He won the 2016 National Book Award for Nonfiction—at 34, the youngest-ever winner in that category.