“I am not your Negro” - Letters from James Baldwin

The documentary, “I am not your Negro” by director Raoul Peck on James Baldwin showcases the lack of “progress” we have made as a country. For over four hundred years, black people have been subjugated to the injustice of being exploited in the very country they were born, bred and had built from the ground up. This film traces upon many of the underlying reasons of why this has been allowed for so long and will continue to if there are not radical changes in the way we view race and racism in America. It specifically focuses on the view of James Baldwin but is reflective of many black experiences. Although Malcolm and Martin often get wedged apart for their ideals, Baldwin surmises that they actually much similar goals in mind. It is that of the black experience that they have in common and bond upon and it requires the same stark change for that black experience to be improved. 

At the very beginning of the film, Baldwin is on a TV interview where the talk show host asks him if the progress of representation of black people in media and government is sign of improvement or more lost hope. There is a moment of laughter as these issues come with a certain airiness that cannot be taken seriously to the white audience. They cannot imagine the experiences of a black person in America and seem to think this issue is as pretty as so they paint it to be. Baldwin, with his notably calm demeanor, goes into that this is an issue not of black people needing to wedge themselves into society but rather what the American society will do in the future to welcome black people into their society. It is appalling that despite all that white America has done to put black people in this position, they expect that black people can somehow dig themselves out without white America having to change their racist norms. Acknowledgement of racism is not enough. There must be action and active antiracism that occur in white America for there to be any type of change. And it will take all of America. As Baldwin states, “White” must not be taken so literally as in the color of the skin. White people didn’t act that way because they were white of course as Baldwin states. “White” is instead symbolic of a much larger system that perpetuates racism. As talked about last week in class, anybody that is ignorant could contribute to that system no matter who they are. That is the scariest part as they are so many underlying issues and unfortunately, they are hidden under this “progress” that we have tricked ourselves into making.

Baldwin states there are many reasons to why this issue cannot be viewed as grave as should be to white America. One, we do not want to believe that what was happening in Birmingham is what is happening all over the country. It took white America a video of George Floyd suffocating for 8 minutes and 48 seconds under the knee of a white police officer to view the state of America in its realist form. However, this event must not be viewed in isolation. We must make those connections to other instances that white America has damaged others such as the deculturalization of Native Americans, the disparities that exist in our healthcare system, and of course to many many others that have been so wrongfully murdered by white America. 

There is an instance where again Baldwin is on a talk show and Sterling, a philosophy professor at Yale, proudly argues that we should not categorize men based on race or religion but rather as humans. Baldwin highlights that while that may exist in some ideal world that this Professor is talking about, it is not the reality of America. Racism runs deep in America and Baldwin cannot risk his life, his kids, his well-being on an ideal that clearly does not exist here. We must recognize race and not be colorblind. It is this very notion of not acknowledging race that is preventing change from happening. White America cannot understand the experiences of black people so they cannot afford to lose their way of life created upon greed and capitalism. As James Baldwin highlighted, the story of the negro in America is the story of America, and it is not a pretty one. It cannot be changed until we really see it as it is. Let us not separate ourselves from that racist white police officer that murdered George Floyd but reflect upon what we have done to contribute to that injustice. 

P.S. 

This link takes you to some black-owned restaurants in RI to support. Let's not let this movement fade and just be a trend. It takes continuous support and action! 

This is a picture of a hand written note by Baldwin. 

A/Malcolm's question: If you are a citizen you have your civil rights

            B/ If you are fighting for your Civil Rights -- what are you?
             C/ To be a citizen --?