I am so glad we watched the videos of James Baldwin in class on Wednesday. He is an amazing speaker! I am completely mesmerized when he talks. I searched online for the second part of his “American Dream and American Negro” speech and was unable to find it, but I did it in writing here: http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/03/29/specials/baldwin-dream.html
It is interesting to me the way Baldwin reacts negatively to the idea that the Blacks should try to be accepted by the Whites. I get his point. Seeking acceptance from someone gives them power over you, and degrades your own sense of self. No one should have to alter their identity in order to be accepted. I think acceptance is a function of understanding. Like the anecdotal woman at the Western Union window in his speech who didn’t understand whom she was dealing with, we fear and avoid and want nothing to do with that which we don’t understand. I think Baldwin understood this as well, which is why he didn’t condemn any individuals for their beliefs or behavior, but instead looked at the root of the problem: conflicting systems of reality.
What to do when systems of reality clash and cannot coexist peacefully did not have an easy answer then and does not have one now. However, I believe the key is in knowledge. With more knowledge, there is less room for false premises and perversions within any group’s “system of reality.” Knowledge leads to understanding which leads to respect and harmony. The conflicts in our country and the world today are not based on race, but on ideological divisions arising from different realities. The progress we have made to invalidate prejudices based on race should help us understand navigate these conflicts.
