In a speech and article, James Baldwin describes the time when black Americans were discriminated in society in the first quarter of the twentieth century. The author mainly focuses on how conplicated it is to be a black American writer in the society full of stereotypes and biases. The central theme of the speech and the article is the author’s long-term search his place in the world and struggle to come to terms with the way he is treated in a white-dominated racial society.
The events of the collective struggle of black in America and segregation, which the writer comments on, changed the country forever. The collective struggle of blacks gave rise to the experience of African Americans with heritage. It included both spiritual, political, and artistic heritage, which caused great pride among blacks. The author does not stigmatize white people who at that time despised him and other black activists; however, this moment was, to a greater extent, a turning point. He changed the retrospective attitude towards blacks, taking as a basis the class and culture of a person. American society has altered with regard to discrimination since Baldwin created his article with apparent examples. However, racism and prejudice are still evident in American life even today.
James Baldwin claims that being an American is a difficult fate because this nation lives mainly on prejudices and stereotypes in relation to other races. Additionally, “America’s history, her aspirations, her peculiar triumphs, her even more peculiar defeats, and her position in the world are all so profoundly and stubbornly unique that the very word “America” remains a new, controversial proper noun” (Baldwin 77). For the author, it was a complex fate since he could not find a sense of identity in the midst of the racial hotbed from which America suffered for a long time. Therefore, after some time, he was forced to travel to Europe and search for self-discovery there, hoping for better fate.
Baldwin claims that the place where a person is born and raised affects his/her identity. In his speech, the author argues that the American society in which he was brought up primarily taught him to disrespect himself. He says that looking at the world, he understood that nothing in this world reflected him. For example, even in television programs, there were no blacks Americans at all; mostly, they were Hollywood productions. In the article he states a similar point, “An American writer fights his way to one of the lowest rungs on the American social ladder by means of pure bull-headedness and an indescribable series of odd jobs” (79). The country at this time declared that a broad nose, dark skin, and large lips were markers of an abominable race. Life in a segregated society is difficult as it affects how black people relate to the world and realize themselves later in other communities.
In conclusion, James Baldwin’s life and his point of view revealed in the article and speech reflect the realities of life in American society in the first quarter of the 20th century for blacks. Obviously, living in a segregated society, members of other ethnic groups may have difficulty finding an identity they can accept. After all the years of collective struggle for their place in American society, attitudes toward blacks have changed, but elements of discrimination still exist.
Work Cited
Baldwin, James. “The Discovery of What It Means to Be an American.” Nobody Knows My Name, 1961.