— Kevin Lliguichushca
After reading about Baldwin’s father’s perception of white people in America. It made sense for someone of color to be angry and even afraid. And Baldwin felt that in the restaurant scene. The feeling of not being seen or treated equally can really affect how a person views life.
As Sofia mentions, everyone has to deal with anger at some point. It’s an emotion that we can use a step to take action. Or we can let it eat us up inside. I believe that’s even more harmful than what the person or thing that originally made us angry. Its best to our anger to good use or find ways to let it go. For example, when I’m angry I tend to put on my headphones and go for a three-mile run, it’s just a way of using my anger to good use. But in Baldwin’s case, I believe it would be best for him to preach and protest because around this time it was hard, especially for African-Americans. As stated before, black people in America are the future of America itself. I believe it is important for Baldwin to put his anger to good use, to fight for the people who are afraid to use their voice because of fear of death and harsh punishments. America wasn’t and isn’t the most flawless country in the world. No country is perfect. But what makes America what it is, are the people who use their voice to bring positive change.
There are many ways of channeling your emotions for greater change. For example, Martin Luther King Junior used it in a more peaceful setting. He believed that handling the differences between blacks and whites, was best handled by the power of voice and non-violence. While Malcolm X, another civil rights activist used his emotions and rage in a different direction. He wanted to get the message across no matter what, even if it involved self-defense.
