Hand-written letters from loved ones will forever hold a special place in my heart. When I moved to the U.S. from Poland, my grandparents sent me numerous letters that kept me sane during days that I especially longed to see my friends and family. The letter written to James immediately brought me back to the times when an envelope in the mail was enough to make me feel at home. Having asserted my views on hand-written letters, I feel that this letter in particular can make anyone feel as if it were written especially for them. I am aware that I am not James nor am I black, but I am able to empathize and understand the struggles that Negroes were and still are forced to face.

Although I have personally done nothing wrong, I feel a tinge of guilt when James Baldwin refers to the “white world” and its condescending actions against blacks. His words are full of pain but they also inspire hope. Baldwin tells his nephew that the real problem is not that African Americans need to be seen as white in order to be accepted, but that the white people need to realize how terrible their actions are. They need to be able to see how cruel and unfair they have been towards other human beings who only vary from them with the color of their skin. I agree with Baldwin, through love and care for one another we can eliminate the terrible stereotypes and stigmas we have created over the years. The quote, “The very time I thought I was lost, My dungeon shook and my chains fell off”, is one of the most inspiring messages I have ever encountered. It tells us that even when we feel that there is no way out and we have done everything in our power, not everything is lost.