Throughout most of the 1950’s and 60’s there was a strong push by Black Americans to end their unfair treatment in America. Two main groups during this time were working on this problem. The NAACP and the Nation of Islam were two main groups working on and poised to solve this very dilemma. Despite trying to solve the same crisis their ideas on a solution were very different. Since their views were varied, people in turn had different views on which group they would become associated with. This inspired many writers to publicly display their beliefs on the issue. In “Down at the Cross,” Baldwin displays favor toward the methodology of the NAACP in the Civil Rights Movement because of their beliefs in the American system. Even though he was partial towards the NAACP he still believed in some of the teachings of the Nation of Islam especially in their views of keeping Black pride and Black values. These notions lead to the fact that Baldwin seeks a mixture of these two factions. The NAACP made many strides in America to help integrate Whites and Blacks. This group’s main method of mixing the races was through the legal system. The path they picked caused many issues with Baldwin and one he perceived is that “very few liberals have any notion how long, how costly, and how heartbreaking a task it is to gather the evidence that one can carry into court, or how long such court battles take.” (Baldwin 320). So not only is it hard on the pocket, but Baldwin believes “there is no reason that Black men should be expected to be more patient, more forbearing, more farseeing than whites; indeed, quite the contrary” (Baldwin 321). One can see that Baldwin felt that the NAACP’s methods were slow and that the Black man should ... ... middle of paper ... ...d in this way everyone in America can become part off this greater whole. Then we can learn from each other’s mistakes and successes to become a greater family because “isn’t love more important than color?” (Baldwin 327). Works Cited Baldwin, James. “Down at the Cross.” 1955. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1988. 63-84. Barbour, Floyd B., ed. The Black Power Revolt. Boston: Porter Sargent Publisher, 1968. “G. O. P. Picks Volpe in Massachusetts.” New York Times 12 Jan 1960. Jones, LeRoi. “The Need For a Cultural Base to Civil Rites & Bpower Mooments.” Barbour. 119-126. Poussaint, Alvin F. “The Negro American: His Self-Image and Integration.”Barbour. 94-102. Wright, Nathan Jr. “The Crisis Which Bred Black Power.” Barbour. 103-118. “Union Aides Rebut Bias Accusation.” New York Times 5 Jan 1961.
Weaver, Robert C. “The Negro As an American: The Yearning for Human Dignity.” The Norton
"Histories, like ancient ruins, are the fictions of empires. While everything forgotten hands in dark dreams of the past, ever threatening to return...”, a quote from the movie Velvet Goldmine, expresses the thoughts that many supporters of integration may have felt because no one truly knew the effects that one major verdict could create. The Brown v. Board of Education decision was a very important watershed during the Civil Rights Movement. However, like most progressive decisions, it did not create an effective solution because no time limit was ever given. James Baldwin realized that this major oversight would lead to a “broken promise.”
From slavery being legal, to its abolishment and the Civil Rights Movement, to where we are now in today’s integrated society, it would seem only obvious that this country has made big steps in the adoption of African Americans into American society. However, writers W.E.B. Du Bois and James Baldwin who have lived and documented in between this timeline of events bringing different perspectives to the surface. Du Bois first introduced an idea that Baldwin would later expand, but both authors’ works provide insight to the underlying problem: even though the law has made African Americans equal, the people still have not.
Baldwin, James. “Down at the Cross.” 1963. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998: 296-347.
Baldwin makes people see the flaws in our society by comparing it to Europe. Whether we decide to take it as an example to change to, or follow our American mindset and take this as the biased piece that it is and still claim that we are the best country in the world, disregard his words and continue with our strive for
Narrative is a form of writing used by writers to convey their experiences to an audience. James Baldwin is a renowned author for bringing his experience to literature. He grew up Harlem in the 1940’s and 1950’s, a crucial point in history for America due to the escalading conflict between people of different races marked by the race riots of Harlem and Detroit. This environment that Baldwin grew up in inspires and influences him to write the narrative “Notes of a Native Son,” which is based on his experience with racism and the Jim-Crow Laws. The narrative is about his father and his influence on Baldwin’s life, which he analyzes and compares to his own experiences. When Baldwin comes into contact with the harshness of America, he realizes the problems and conflicts he runs into are the same his father faced, and that they will have the same affect on him as they did his father.
According to James Baldwin’s “My Dungeon Shook: A Letter to My Nephew” African Americans cannot obtain their piece of the American Dream. Baldwin wrote a letter to his nephew in hope of guiding him through life. Baldwin had many words of wisdom to share, mostly words provoked by pain and anger. Baldwin wanted to teach his nephew about the cruelty of society. His main point was to teach his nephew not to believe the white man and his words. He wanted to encourage his nephew to succeed in life but not to expect the unassailable. By believing the white man one can not succeed but by knowing where one comes from will lead to success was the foundation of Baldwin’s message (243-246).
Throughout his essay, Du Bois challenged Booker T. Washington’s policy of racial accommodation and gradualism. In this article Du Bois discusses many issues he believes he sees
This knowledge wasn’t achieved by all the good qualities Baldwin has it this point is discussed in a quote by Machiavelli. “On the other hand, some other qualities which seem bad will help him to increase his power”, this quote from The Prince explains how leaders use their bad qualities to gain power or a deeper understanding. “On the other hand, some other qualities which seem bad will help him to increase his power.’Baldwin has seen both sides of the Negro and white community which allows him to form his own opinions, not listen to what he is told about one another. Baldwin not listening/ joining Elijah Muhammad a young Negro leader along side of Malcolm X was look down upon in the Negro community making this a bad quality of Baldwin. But with this bad quality Baldwin was able to see that not only can Negroes change their situation they needed the help of white America. It stated that “ Now, there is simply no possibility of real change in the Negro situation without the most radical and far reaching changes in the American political and social structure.” (Baldwin , pg 84). Being that white men run those two aspects stated this was not only a message to the Negro community it was a message for everyone in this country. Without this change Baldwin describes a very hostile environment stating Negroes will create chaos and bring down the curtains on the American dream for everyone. It’s
John A. Kirk, History Toady volume 52 issue 2, The Long Road to Equality for African-Americans
The Civil Rights Movement in the 1950’s and 1960’s was a mass mobilization and unification of people from varying backgrounds fighting for equal rights and equal opportunity for Black Americans. Black male leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. preached about equality and challenged people to consider social injustices within society. The leadership qualities and influence of Dr. King are undeniable. His rhetoric united Black America and identified their entitlement to the principles embodied in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Dr. King’s inspiring speech for Black’s to “one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”, motivated White and Black
We must glimpse the past if we are to construct a better future. Many may ask themselves, “Who am I?” but it is the revelry in understanding that basically our future lies in the past, such that it can only be answered by, “Where do I come from?” Looking to great leaders from our past bridges our connection to our future. Martin Luther King and now President Obama are excellent representations of this connection. Both faced the issues that plague America’s past, even though they are a part of different time periods. There are two specific works that address these some of these issues, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” written by Martin Luther King Jr. and the speech given by Barack Obama, “A More Perfect Union.” Although “Letter from Birmingham
...as a reader I must understand that his opinions are supported by his true, raw emotions. These negative feelings shared by all of his ancestors were too strong to just pass by as meaningless emotions. Baldwin created an outlook simply from his honest views on racial issues of his time, and ours. Baldwin?s essay puts the white American to shame simply by stating what he perceived as truth. Baldwin isn?t searching for sympathy by discussing his emotions, nor is he looking for an apology. I feel that he is pointing out the errors in Americans? thinking and probably saying, ?Look at what you people have to live with, if and when you come back to the reality of ?our? world.?
Shaskolsky, Leon. “The Negro Protest Movement- Revolt or Reform?.” Phylon 29 (1963): 156-166. JSTOR. U of Illinois Lib., Urbana. 11 Apr. 2004 .
Baldwin’s constant, detailed, reflections helped me immensely in understanding this story. I feel that they served as a constant reminder of the social context in which this story takes place. It helped to have those incessant reminders because I kept thinking it takes place in recent years, versus the 1950s, before the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing. The biggest idea that I had to keep in mind was that the racism (ultimately leading to stagnation/oppression) presented in the context was “accepted” at this point in time. By “accepted” I mean that there were not yet any written laws in place to protect blacks against these acts, not that the actions were morally correct or acceptable.