James Baldwin, in a letter to his 15-year-old nephew upon the 100th anniversary of emancipation, instructs his nephew not to be bitter towards white people or to hold against them the racist beliefs they hold. He instructs his nephew rather to be welcoming and loving of them, and to try to change them into who they should be. This involved the breaking down of the illusions that prop up racist mindsets.
This is a very bold and brave idea and is a testament to Baldwin’s strength of character. Although he may sound cynical at times when speaking of the obstacles placed in front of his nephew, I think writing off his warnings to his nephew as cynical is a superficial analysis of his ideas.
Perhaps Baldwin takes honesty this seriously because he understands the dangers of illusions. Racist idea’s themselves are examples of illusions, which, as Baldwin says, enhance the holder’s sense of identity. Likewise, Baldwin would not want to put his nephew under the illusion that America was giving him a fair shot. In this sense, what initially appears as cynicism is in fact and example of hope defying the odds, as Baldwin affirms that the way America treats his nephew is not right and is not normal. Baldwin nudges the reader toward envisioning an America free of these illusions, where his nephew is treated as he should be.