Stamped from the Beginning was generally well-received by critics, including a starred review from
Kirkus Reviews, who called the book "ambitious" and "magisterial."
Library Journals Thomas J. Davis concluded that
Stamped from the Beginning "is a must for serious readers of American history, politics, or social thought."
The Guardians
David Olusoga called the book "brilliant and disturbing" and explained that some readers find the book disturbing "because of the author’s fearless reappraisals of the words, actions and philosophies of some of the more revered heroes of American abolitionism and civil rights – including African American heroes," including
William Lloyd Garrison and
W. E. B. Du Bois.
Sadiah Qureshi, writing for
New Statesman, referred to the book as "a lucid, accessible survey of how 'the people' were racialised over 500 years." She further stated, "One might expect Kendi to be despondent, but he believes that eradicating discriminatory policies will consign racist ideas to the past ... an un-yielding narrative of racist ideas, violence and harm. However, the book is also a history of refusals."
Booklist's Rebecca Vnuk commented on Kendi's writing, highlighting how the book is "heavily researched yet easily readable." She further explains, "The hope here is that by studying and remembering the lessons of history, we may be able to move forward to an equitable society." Political scientist and activist
Norman Finkelstein locates the book within Kendi's broader body of work, which he describes as "fatuous, almost juvenile," dependent upon "binary, wooden labels" in the absence of a critical framework, "more fashion statement than political manifesto," and frequently "bizarre." ==Awards and honors==