Common Sense Media Review
By Sabrina McFarland
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Book-based docu analyzes racist ideas; language, violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Stamped from the Beginning
What's the Story?
In STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING, African American academics and activists share their expertise about centuries-long anti-Black racist ideas in the United States. Filmmaker Ibram X. Kendi cites Southern politician Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America, who believed that inequality between Blacks and Whites was stamped from the beginning by God. With firsthand interviews, archival footage and photos, and animated illustrations, the documentary takes an in-depth look at racial misconceptions about African Americans that include the myths of the Black criminal and Black hypersexuality.
Is It Any Good?
Filmmaker Roger Ross Williams (Life, Animated) presents a prolific and thought-provoking documentary about race in the United States. "When we think of the history of racism in this country," says Stamped from the Beginning book author and cast member Ibram X. Kendi (BookTube Jr.), "we're really thinking of the history of power." The film states that following the Civil War's conclusion in 1865, many African Americans became empowered in society by becoming legislators, property owners, builders of Black colleges, and more.
Their progress, however, was later met with resentment, resistance, and brutal punishment by some White people. "The work that ought to have been done in the immediate aftermath of slavery," notes Angela Davis, a political and civil rights activist, "the work of reorganizing, retooling, reconceptualizing the entire society so that it might be possible for previously enslaved individuals to be free and equal, that work was never done."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the communication shared by the cast in Stamped from the Beginning. How do they also demonstrate courage, perseverance, and teamwork? Why are they important character strengths?
Have you ever heard or believed any of the perpetuated racist myths about African Americans presented in the documentary? What can you do to stop these misconceptions?
Do you agree or disagree with the film's perspective about the history of race in the United States, and why?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 10, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : November 20, 2023
- Director : Roger Ross Williams
- Inclusion Information : Gay Movie Director(s) , Black Movie Director(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Activism , History
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Run time : 92 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some violent content, language, drug content and nude images – all involving racism
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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