"On being brought from Africa to America"
In the text, Kendi references a poem written by Phillis Wheatley called "On Being Brought from Africa to America." This poem illustrates how black people internalize racist stereotypes and ideas, using imagery to emphasize this point. For example, "Their color is a diabolic die," and "some view our sable race with scornful eye."
African culture
Kendi rejects offensive and racist depictions of Africa in American history, such as the colonial idea that African people were "barbaric," and "uncivilized." Indeed, this idea was used by colonists to justify what they were doing. Instead, Kendi associates Africa with positive imagery, emphasizing its rich and vibrant culture.
Imagery of racism
Kendi uses imagery to illustrate his arguments about inherent racism in the United States and the fact that a great deal of racial discourse is founded on assimilationist ideas. For example, in one passage, Kendi refers to the common image of America being a "melting pot" of different cultures and races. Although this is often used in a positive sense, promoting diversity and multiculturalism, this image does not take into consideration the struggles of minorities.
Imagery of genetics
Genetics is a motif in this text, used to show how racist attitudes were often founded on biological racism and the belief that races were inherently different. This is connected to the idea that black people are inherently "stamped from the beginning," according to racist discourse. Kendi also refers to the Human Genome Project, which concluded that humans are genetically the same.
