There were many things to take away from James Baldwin’s speech that we listened to in class. However, what stood out a great deal to me was his assertion that he felt like just another kid until he was around five years old and looked in the mirror only to realize he was black. People are born into this world without the immediate ability to look at themselves and understand their reflection. Furthermore, with an unblemished mind, they are able to love unconditionally and are not judgmental. I believe Baldwin was speaking about the innocence of a child and the way his or her mind is eventually framed to depict what society desires it to and what experience forces it to.
There is nothing like a child’s innocence and this speech had me wondering if the world would be a better place if people forever retained this innocence. In such a world there would be no prejudice and no discrimination based on race and colour. People would not be labeled and there would be no need to differentiate as we are in fact one species. Is this world something that only a child can experience and is lost once they are able to understand their reflection in the mirror? Or is it something that may one day transfer into adulthood?
