TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A Florida A&M University graduate's book was mentioned by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz during the March 22 confirmation hearing for Supreme Court justice nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson and is now ranked number two on Amazon's bestseller list, as of Friday.
The picture book "Antiracist Baby" was used by Sen. Cruz during his questioning of Jackson and culminated with the question: “Do you agree with this book that is being taught to kids that babies are racist?”
“I do not believe that any child should be made to feel as though they are racist, or as though they are not valued, or as though they are less than, that they are victims, that they are oppressors — I don’t believe in any of that," Jackson responded.
After Cruz's mention of the book, "Antiracist Baby" began to trend on Twitter, then the book sales also began to follow suit.
"Antiracist Baby," written in 2020, is a children's book by Ibram X. Kendi and aims to "introduce readers and the grownups in their lives to the concept and power of antiracism," according to the book's summary on Amazon.
In 2004, Kendi received two bachelor's degrees from FAMU in Journalism and African-American/Black Studies, according to their LinkedIn profile. He later went on to receive his Ph.D. in African-American/Black Studies from Temple University in 2010.
"Providing the language necessary to begin critical conversations at the earliest age, Antiracist Baby is the perfect gift for readers of all ages dedicated to forming a just society," the book's summary adds. "This edition includes additional discussion prompts to help readers recognize and reflect on bias in their daily lives."
Kendi also took to Facebook on March 22 to respond to Cruz's comments on the book.
"You know Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has impeccable credentials—and you know you're doing the work—when Ted Cruz questions her about your books since he can’t touch her record," Kendi wrote in a Facebook post.
You can buy the book by clicking here.
