CAZENOVIA — In celebration of Black History Month, the Anti-Racism Coalition of Cazenovia (ARC-C) is inviting interested community members to join in a series of “healthful and hopeful” conversations focused on the book “Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America” by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, as well as a young adult version of the book co-written by Jason Reynolds.

Members of the book group can choose to read either the adult or young adult version.

Kendi’s original work, which won the 2016 National Book Award for Nonfiction, explores the history of how racist ideas were created, spread, and rooted in American society. The academic account focuses on the life stories of five American intellectuals — Puritan minister Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, W.E.B. Du Bois, and activist Angela Davis.

In the 2020 remix of Kendi’s book, titled “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You,” Reynolds and Kendi shed light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas and encourage readers to identify and discredit racist thoughts in their daily lives in order to embrace empathy, respect, and healing. Reimagined for ages 12 and up, this version promises readers that it is “not a history book.” Instead, it is a book that mixes the past with the present in ways that are relatable and compelling for young people.

Kendi and Reynolds also teamed up to produce the 2021 book “Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You” for even younger audiences.

“Ibram X. Kendi is a brilliant scholar and contemporary theorist concerning antiracism, and Jason Reynolds is a wonderful writer of young adult/middle school books,” said ARC-C steering committee member Louise Brown-Smith, who will lead the book discussions along with her husband, Alan Smith, and CHS English teacher Wendy Everard.

According to Brown-Smith, “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You” was required reading for all middle schoolers in Ithaca last year.

“Knowledge of racism and antiracism is such an important issue in our country today that it seems important [for] ARC-C to try to reach out to people of all ages in our community,” she said. “There is awareness and learning to be had throughout all of our lifetimes, and our best teachers can also be children, teenagers, adults, parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, any of us.”

According to the book club organizers, the Cazenovia Public Library is in the process of acquiring both the adult and young adult versions of the book. The books may also be purchased online. A list of Black-owned bookstores is available at oprahdaily.com.

ARC-C’s book group meetings will take place on Feb. 2, Feb. 16, and March 2 in Room 204 of Cazenovia High School (CHS), from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The high school portico doors, which are located off the West Parking Lot, will be accessible. Participants can also join in on Zoom; a link will be shared via email prior to the first meeting.

According to a Jan. 19 press release announcing the book discussions, “Members are encouraged to come to the group with open hearts, ready to discuss both the book and their experiences with race in their lives, and with grace for everyone involved in the discussions.”

Brown-Smith said the Feb. 2 meeting will include group introductions and an introduction to the book.

“It will likely entail videos as well as conversation,” she added. “We will then have a month to read the book and to discuss what we learn [during] two more sessions.”

During the same timeframe, CHS history/government teacher Kurt Wheeler will be leading a group of high school students in a study of the young adult version of “Stamped.”

“As a teacher and community leader, I am committed to the idea of continually exposing myself to new ideas and gaining new perspectives,” said Wheeler. “I’m sure this will be valuable. We opted to conduct [our discussions] at school versus at a community venue to make it more accessible, and [Principal] Molly Hagan was very supportive of the idea. I hope to have student leaders from ‘Times Up Caz’ and other student groups play a pivotal role, and my goal will be to assist and advise them.”

Wheeler noted that, although the details have not been finalized, he envisions that the group will meet once a week before school throughout February and perhaps into the beginning of March.

According to the book club organizers, the hope is that the adult and student groups will eventually come together for a culminating, multi-generational event, during which the participants can meet and share ideas.

“We really do need to learn from each other as well as be able to discuss and deal with difficult subjects together,” said Brown-Smith.

Interested individuals should contact Brown-Smith or Alan Smith at [email protected] or Everard at [email protected].

ARC-C is a multi-racial coalition founded by members of the community in May 2020. According to its website, the group’s mission is “to educate ourselves and the community at large, to engage in equitable policies and practices, to dismantle systems of power, advantage, and privilege, to build a racially just and equitable community, and to transform our society and ourselves.”

In addition to its book group, the coalition will also be commemorating Black History Month with a special presentation during its February meeting and a display in the Cazenovia Public Library.

For more information on ARC-C, visit arc-c.org or facebook.com/arccazenovia.