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Summary of Four Hundred Souls 

4.8 . 6112 reviews

Short summary

Ibram X. Kendi is an American author, professor, avid anti-racist, activist, and a seasoned historian of race and discriminatory policy in the United States. In July of 2020, he was appointed director of the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University. Kendi was also included in Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2020. Four Hundred Souls gets readers going with the fateful arrival of the 20 infamous enslaved indigenous Ndongo people in mainland America in the year 1619, just a year before the arrival of the famed Mayflower. In 80 chapters arranged in time, Kendi tells a riveting tale that documents and trails the unfortunate and triumphant four-century history of the Black American experience in a choral work of exceptional power and beauty. Four hundred souls was co-authored by historian and professional writer Keisha N. Blain. If you've been burning to learn about black history, this summary is just right for you. “Men talk of the Negro problem. There is no Negro problem,” Douglass declared in 1894, as the shadow of Jim Crow covered the nation. “The problem is whether the American people have honesty enough, patriotism enough to live up to their Constitution.” ~ Ibram X. Kendi

Table of content

  • Summary of Four Hundred Souls
  • About the author
  • What is Four Hundred Souls about?
  • Who should read Four Hundred Souls
  • Topics in Four Hundred Souls
first key point

There is a lot of history in slavery and the resistance

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A massive chunk of Black struggles in the US today can be traced back to the era of slavery in this country. As stated in this collection of stories, which form a weighty account of the collective struggles and trials of Black people, it all started in 1619.
Slavery is a blemish in the United States’ history, one that continues to haunt the nation to this day.
About 400 years ago, a dark chapter was set in motion by a few individuals who needed cheap and ultimately free labor. These individuals traveled to the continent of Africa, captured unsuspecting people, and transported them by ship to work in their vast farms or plantations. This act would define interactions between white and Black Americans for years to come.
Long after slavery was abolished, there remained an intense hatred for Black people.
The drive behind slavery might have been economic, but it was born of racism. Racism can be defined as general discrimination of races other than that of the captors. Racism remains a prevalent issue today and was the cause of much abuse, violence, and maltreatment of the Black community even years after slavery.
The fight against racism created many activists such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement that managed to curb it a bit.
Blacks have refused to be the constant targets of oppression and discrimination because of their skin. The primary weapon of their resistance was the civil rights movement in the sixties.
It seems that wherever the Black body is present, whether in solitary or a multitude, whites feel threatened, perhaps by the ghosts of their own sins for which they have never atoned. ~ Robert Jones Jr.
second key point

Segregation came after slavery to further trouble those trying to survive

As slavery was abolished, the Black community expected to have everyday lives, but this would not be the case. The horrors they had faced as slaves had become ingrained into an oppressive culture waiting at every corner. Racism was now a heavily prevalent practice, leading to violence and persecution of Blacks. Among the host of these persecutions is segregation — even after the abolishment, Blacks were still living in a cage.
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third key point

Many looked to migrate to find better lives

fourth key point

Cultural oppression was a less violent form of abuse but just as potent

fifth key point

Black people brought about world-changing artistic, literary and musical creativity

sixth key point

With the ability to reinvent themselves, Black people had hope

seventh key point

Conclusion

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What is Four Hundred Souls about?

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Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.

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