Please post your working essay concept. Please do not create a "thesis," yet. I would also revisit your blog responses; there are brilliant insights there!
Compose a fat paragraph, detailing your insights on the topic. What do you want to write about? Which prompt(s) will help you achieve your objective? What point(s) do you hope to make or explore? Which short stories will you use? How will you implement the documentary? What other films, novels, could help you in your quest? Remember, this is a working draft, so do not hold back.
Remember to comment on other's ideas in the blog space.
I look forward to your responses.
I'm thinking of using the ambiguous characters prompt and talking about how Jesse is a morally ambiguous character, because although as an adult he is really mean, and we start out hating him, we realize that it was really society that made him this way when he was a little kid with a vulnerable mind. I think that in Going to Meet The Man, Jesse is a metaphor for all of white America, and would like to relate this to the different voices by saying how the white America of Baldwin's time, although it did horrible things like lynch black people, support segregation, etc. has similarly been shaped by previous generations to believe in racism. I'd like to then connect this to the idea of the single story and Toni Morrison's Recitatif, saying that there really is no inborn difference between white children and black children, but because of their experience, they turn out differently, and also relate it to how in "I am not your Negro," Baldwin says that black children think of themselves as white and are shocked when they find out that while they were rooting for Gary Cooper fighting the Indians, that the Indians were them.
ReplyDeleteThats an interesting stream of different concepts and different ideas, it follows a thread from start to finish. I think you should talk about why things are ambigous and in what ways it's not ambigous but very, mind the pun, black and white. I think the contrast of finite thoughts versus the more fluid and learned thought which is much harder to see.
DeleteI agree that your stream of conciseness takes a unique direction. The ideas one 'takes on' are often the ideas from our forebearers (our parents, grandparents, family, etc.) and it is only when we make a decision about how we feel about said ideas (religion, belief system, culture), that we make it all our own and not those of others.
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ReplyDeleteTo write my essay, I want to use a combination of aspects from the 1976 prompt and the 2010 prompt. I think the idea of “home” is intricate, personal, and extends beyond a physical structure in which we live. What do you call home? Do you love our home? Do you want to run away from home? Do you feel that your home detest you? Why do you keep coming home? DRUGS TO BLUES In “Sonny’s Blues”, Sonny’s home, his comfort, used be drugs. However, he found a new home, jazz music, specifically the piano. In Sonny’s old home, he is not loved, he is looked down upon by his brother. The piano is an escape, like an isolated house on the lake, where Sonny’s brother can admire his new found passions and skill. However, when Sonsyrea Tate says, “You can leave home all you want, but home will never leave you,” does this mean Sonny will ever detach himself from the home that was addiction? This thought makes me want to also include the SINGLE STORY TED TALK. While our home says a lot about us, can it really tell our complete story. I think not. GOING TO MEET THE MAN In the story Baldwin creates a perspective from a white family, and centers around the environment and morality of a young white child. Home could have been continuing his friendship with the young black boy, to think of each others as equals. But then home becomes a picnic, a really disturbing picnic. Seeing the lynching, and watching his parents so proud and glorified by it, builds a sense of superiority and hatred in a once pure heart. If they didn’t have a black women or man to hate, to torture, what do they have? What are they scared of truly facing within themselves? What do they hate so much about themselves, their lives, that they must express racial hatred? Wy do they object their own home? Then in connection with the words of Tate, if racism is home, what is comforting, does racism ever leave? I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO America was Baldwin's home, where he grew up, worked and lived for some time is the home he objects and the home (white America) that objects him. However, when he travels to Paris, there is great admiration and love. So what really is home the place that objects him, but where he rallies, or the place of acception. Today is America’s home and comfort is being colorblind. Not acknowledging black and white not is being complacent in a society where justice still lags far behind and racism still lingers (may be obvious or more hidden). Whether we like it or not, the 50s and 60s were not that long ago and white America can’t disassociate itself themselves from history: slavery, “creating the n word, the KKK, segregation.
I really like your idea to explore the concept of home and what others call their home. I think the questions you ask are very insightful and intriguing. One's like "why do you keep coming home?" connect to the idea of how racism still remains in our society, as it is something that is "home" or normal to them. I also like how later you ask "what are they scared of truly facing within themselves?" These questions you bring up are very important ones defiantly worth exploring.
DeleteI want to start my essay focused on now, how we currently see racism play out in day to day life and how we treat it. It gives a sense of responsibility and brings of the theme that I’ll be focusing on through the whole essay, my concept majorly being how little it’s change except the minimization and denial of racism today. I want to talk about micro-aggressions within our community and how they're treated by those involved and by bystanders. I want to use Going to meet the man as a major example and talk about how the mentality of Jesse lives on in a new generation of the same minds. I think the Charlotteville riots are a prime example of how nothing has changed and on the other side fo the equation-- the anti-racist side-- we struggle and hesitate to do anything in fear of the consequences. Instead of violence there is resounding nothingness that just eats away at any claim to activism or protest. By not doing anything, anti-racists become “color blind” and by extension take the side of the racist. I think the contrast of everyday life to extreme violence is very important because, either way, racism is racism.
ReplyDeleteSusan Matteucci
ReplyDeleteI want to focus on societal pressures. The thesis from the 1970 AP test works best for that. I am going to have two central points; when people conform to their society and when they do not. For the first point I’m planning on using “Going to Meet the Man”. When Jesse first saw how the black man was being tortured he thought, “what did he do? What the man do?”. But as time went on, he saw how happy his father and mother were. His mother’s “eyes were very bright, her mouth open: she looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her”. He sat on his father’s shoulders. They were the perfect picture of a loving family. Jesse “began to feel a joy that he had never felt before” (10). He started seeing the lynching as beautiful, he conformed to his societal pressures despite his primary subconscious telling him he should be ashamed. I then want to move into “Recitatif”. In “Recitatif” Roberta and Twyla go back and forth between conforming to their society, which tries to tear them apart, and defying their society. I’m hoping on using this short story to move from my first point to my second. There are many points in the story where Twyla and Roberta conform to their societal pressures. When they meet in the restaurant Twyla works in, Roberta is a bit rude and blows her off. She was conforming to her society, explaining to Twyla, “you know how it was back then, black, white”. They also protested on different sides a line up for desegregating schools. Despite this they were still able to have moments of clarity where they were even friends. I want to use the documentary in my second point. Speaking out during the Civil Rights Movement was against societal pressures and very dangerous. Many were killed for speaking their minds, including Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. James Baldwin succumbs to these pressures and this fear and moves to France to write without having to constantly look over his shoulder. He later comes back to the United States, though, breaking through barriers and ignoring societal pressures.
I think the topic which you've chosen for your essay is very strong, the psychological aspects of the social pressures at the time and what they did to people is going to make a very powerful essay.
DeleteI want to explore the idea that what you are exposed to and what your surrounded by influence/impact one's life. Specifically, using “Going to Meet the Man” as my primary example, revealing how one’s upbringing shapes the morals and values they will possess in the future. Before the main part of the story, we see how Jesse has already been introduced to racism, as the neighborhood/environment in which he lives in already exhibits clear racism. Furthermore, the events that take place later seem to confirm that the way in which he was brought up and the society in which he was surrounded by created who he grew up to be. It is evident the influence his parents had, as after Jesse had witnessed the torture to the Black man, he felt as though his father “had revealed to him a great secret which would be the key to his life forever.” This moment allowed him to believe that this act of cruelty was normal. Along with his parents, society itself played a large role in defining his character. It is clear that, since the society around him was surrounded in racism, that Jesse believes this to be normal and he follows after what he sees around him. By growing up in a racist society, Jesse believes that these are the standard of the world; he does not know how unjust and corrupted the society around him truly is. This story is a great example to segway into the idea of how racism is still carried into our world today, as it is something that is taught and carried from generation to generation.
ReplyDelete“I Am Not Your Negro,” is a great vehicle to reflect back onto our society today and where we see this same idea play out in a broader lense. I also would like to try to incorporate the idea that during this time when racism was most prevalent, many people bought into what was around them; their morals and values were lost because of the racist society around them, speaking to the idea that our surroundings do shape the people we become. It is important to question, how do we work towards a society where racism is no longer an issue? Baldwin stated, “the truth is that this country does not know what to do with its Black population" and to some extent, we still see this prevail in our society today. In working towards a more equal society, we must not forget the past. If we pretend racism was a thing of the past, we disrespect and dishonor those who struggled and fought tirelessly. Instead, We must acknowledge the suffering that occurred, honor those who fought for their rights, and teach the next generation to learn from our country’s past mistakes. This idea is one Baldwin touches upon greatly, as he not only honors three prominent figures, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr, but also calls for us to keep fighting against racism in today’s society.
James Baldwin challenged centuries-old social hierarchies and blatant injustices, pressuring the white, American public to reconsider their perspective of African Americans. Alongside Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., Baldwin urged and plead that “I Am Not Your Negro.” American is centered around white people; “Racism is as American as cherry pie.”As Baldwin eloquently states, “it is entirely up to the American people whether or not they’re going to face and deal with and embrace this stranger whom they relied on so long.” In this essay, I aim to address the “David and Goliath” endeavor embarked by James Baldwin through his fictional works, the documentary, and the essay of Toni Morrison. Therefore, I chose the prompt about the conflict created when the will of an individual opposes the will of the majority.
ReplyDeleteIn the documentary, James Baldwin appeals to logic as he tools with reason and emotions. When an interviewer questions his notion of white versus black, Baldwin respond by clarifying that “the question the white population of this country has got to ask itself — North and South...for a Negro, there’s no difference between the North and South. There’s just a difference in the way they castrate you. But the fact of the castration is the American fact. If I’m not a nigger here and you invented him, you, the white people, invented him, then you’ve got to find out why.” Also, his relationships with other civil rights leaders like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr are discussed. Though James Baldwin used essays and writing as a means to protest, King used peaceful marches, and Malcolm X ushered violence, they all had a common value, a common idea; if you are white in America and you are not defending African Americans, then you are supporting white supremacy and the continual suffocation of basic human rights.
In Baldwin’s fictional works, “Going to Meet the Man” and “Sonny’s Blues,” he discusses white American from two perspectives; from the eyes of a white, racist police officer and an innocent, black school teacher. The sheriff feels his job is to protect “white people from the niggers and the niggers from themselves” and that “it wasn’t his fault if the niggers had taken it into their heads to fight against God and go against the rules of the Bible…!” Conversely, Sonny, an African American boy struggling with the law, finds refuge in a jazz club. The stark contrast between these works illustrate the natural tendencies of a subconscious racism while highlighting the humanistic importance of supporting people of color in America.
Toni Morrison’s purpose of writing the short story, “Recitatif,” was to confuse her readers. She intentionally did not reveal the races of her characters, rather forcing the audience to use their racial biases and form their own conclusions. However, it is impossible to use a “single story” to form an accurate picture of a character. This story can be helpful in connecting James Baldwin’s movement with the current Black Live Matter movement and appealing to a more contemporary, younger audience.
I believe I would like to explore the idea of home being both a physical and emotional place (2010 prompt). The idea of home is more complex than just the location where people grow up. It is a place that they are trying to escape, hold on to, change, and preserve all at once. Within America, everyone has small and large homes they live in from their houses to people to churches to schools. This is seen in “I Am Not Your Negro” where people think of both communities of specific races as well as specific people as home. People often want to leave home and improve their quality of life, just as Twyla in “Recitatif” wants to leave St. Bonny’s. As she grows away from St. Bonny’s she finds the stories and people she met there stay with her, memories she values and analyzes deeply. Twyla even dreams about the orchard before she meets Roberta again years later. As Twyla realizes that her and Roberta’s recollections are so different about the home they once shared, Twyla doesn’t want to change her thinking, instead preserving her ideas of home for herself. Roberta, who was a close companion on a soulful level was a home for Twyla and vice versa during their time living together. Even though they both changed greatly throughout the story, they continued to share an indestructible bond through their thoughts, making them homes for each other. In “Sonny’s Blues” home is also more than just Harlem. Home is a sanctuary where the brothers can go back to no matter how badly they’ve messed up. They find this home in their passions as well as in each other. Sonny loves music and has a talent for it. Through his music, he is able to rekindle and complete the last bits of the home between himself and his brother. This idea of stability through all situations makes home an emotional state as well as physical location not only for characters in books, but real people.
ReplyDeleteI like how you broadened the definition of 'home' to include communities. My home is not just the house I live in, but it is also AHS, Andover, and all the other communities I am a part of. When discussing racism, I feel that it is important to acknowledge a person's upbringings and how their 'home' influenced their beliefs. Therefore, I think that "Recitatif" and "Sonny's Blues" will be the strongest pieces to highlight this idea of a 'home' and how it relates to racism. I think this topic will be very interesting for you to explore.
DeleteI am also responding to the same 2010 prompt. The concept of "home" is especially relevant in the works of literature that you mentioned such as "I Am Not Your Negro" and "Recitaif". Differences of upbringings is reflected in the way they discuss their "homes" It is in these "homes" that they develop as characters
DeleteAfter revisiting the provided works I noticed a pattern that repeatedly caught my attention. The trend of oblivion appeared evident in the narratives Recitatif, Going to Meet the Man, and I Am Not Your Negro. I would like to discover the relationship between oblivion and it’s potentially dangerous influence towards our actions— a small concept that is actually a major driving force in White Americans behind Black oppression. In Recitatif, there was a particular moment that stuck out to me after initially reading it, “"Listen to me. I really did think she was black. I didn't make that up. I really thought so… And you were right. We didn't kick her… But, well, I wanted to. I really wanted them to hurt her… It was just that I wanted to do it so bad that day-wanting to is doing it.” I feel that this quote accurately exemplifies human nature and that this idea and thinking is parallel to the voice in White America regarding Black Oppression— I want to explore the truth and hypothesize how things came to be, and whether Whites are/have been oblivious to the truth or if there is a good enough reason for oppression. Do White people even know why/remember their reason for hate? Are they just “going along with it” cause everyone else did? Or because they wanted to keep hating … to hate? Why did Whites create “niggers?” Is this question left unanswered because even they don’t know? These patterns of oblivion are prevalent throughout Going to Meet the Man in a White perspective. I want to utilize this narrative to demonstrate this claim of oblivion, using Jesse as an example to represent the majority of Whites. Were most of them born into this oppressing “belief,” or “idea” about Blacks? Jesse never got closure growing up, and it is terrifying to wrap our minds around the reality that some still stand behind the “mystery” of White justification for Black oppression today. Lastly, I believe that the closing line from Baldwin’s I Am Not Your Negro, poses a staggering question which pulls together my essential question, “If I'm not the nigger here, and if you invented him, you the white people invented him, then you have to find out why. And the future of the country depends on that. Whether or not it is able to ask that question.” Baldwin emphasizes how White people must face their Nation’s past in order to move forward, and explicitly states that questions are still left unresolved; these unanswered questions imply oblivion. I hope that after looking more closely with these works I will be able to formulate a strong approach with both race’s perspectives, voice, and patterns.
ReplyDeleteThe 1976, 2002, and 2012 prompts can help me to achieve my objective. For the 1976 prompt, it can relate to the fact that people of color have felt out of place in society due to the discrimination. Through this, they are opposed to their society in the sense that America has shown prejudice towards black people for a long time. For example, in the documentary, James Baldwin does not say that he hates white people. He think it would be destructive to feel this way about all white people. In this way, he is very conflicted because he has been discriminated by white people but he knows that he would be bad to generalize and say that all white people are evil. In the 2002 prompt, I am reminded how in Going to Meet the Man, the main character was friends with a black person when he was young. The prompt discusses how a character in the novel gives the readers trouble because he does not identify as purely evil or purely good. I see this dilemma with Jesse in which I would not say that he is purely evil. Because of his family and his surroundings, he later discriminated against black people and watched a lynching. This lynching was horrifying yet he felt a sense of pride when looking at his dad. Because of his upbringing, I cannot say that is evil despite the terrible things that he participates in. The 2012 prompt mentions how influential a geographical location can be. This again, makes me think of Going to Meet the Man because Jesse’s surroundings influenced the person that he turned into. He was a sheriff in the deep south who was surrounded by racist ideals. This shaped him into the man that he became.
ReplyDeleteThis is kind of related to my idea, because I also said that Jesse is an ambiguous character in Going to Meet the Man in response to the 2002 prompt. I really liked how you also brought in the 1976 and 2012 prompt. That was a really clever idea, especially with the 2012 prompt since that is about how we're influenced by our surroundings, and that's a pretty good argument for saying one isn't evil. However, this sets up a question. If we're all influenced by our surroundings, is there anything we ourselves decide for ourselves? There is actually a debate regarding this known as the free will v determinism debate, and it might be something you can use in your essay.
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ReplyDeleteI want to write about how different the black perspective and white perspective is on their role in society and how dependent race is on the role. Using both the 1988 and 2005 prompts I would be able to capture the idea of how characters in the short stories and James Baldwin all had these awakening moments that made them realize the societal standards that they are living in. When they have this realization they normally have an external reaction that results in some type of action, positive or negative. I hope to show how that in Recitatif Twyla and Roberta both have these moments where they are left making assumptions based on the other and how in the end they join together and reflect on the differences of their lives. They were both in the shelter for children who were taken by the state, each of them had their own troubles and at some points, it was hard to tell at some points who was what race because both seemed to have their assumptions about the other. I want to also use Sonny’s Blues to capture his perspective and a turning point for him and also Going to meet the man when Jessie and his relationship with Otis and how their relationship changes due to the how his parents are raising him and the pressing matter that no one is born racist and that racism is taught because, without his parents, his relationship with Otis could have been very different.
From the documentary, I want to include the part where James Baldwin talks about Gary Cooper and says It comes as a great shock to see Gary Cooper killing off the Indians, and although you are rooting for Gary Cooper, that the Indians are you.”. This to me was a huge realization point because for James Baldwin it was clear he didn’t understand the societal issues that were prevalent all around him. Baldwin as a child didn’t yet completely understand the racism that his country was built on so when he saw Gary Cooper, he just assumed it was the good guy Another point from the film was when James Baldwin was recalling as a kid “I am about seven. I'm with my mother or my aunt. The movie is Dance, Fools, Dance. I was aware that Joan Crawford was a white lady. Yet, I remember being sent to the store sometime later, and a colored woman who, to me, looked exactly like Joan Crawford, was buying something. She was incredibly beautiful.” This is also a realization point for James Baldwin sees a beautiful black women who remind him of a white women actress he watches on TV. The documentary showed the huge issue of representation in media and how even in film racism was built into all aspects of movies and tv shows and to a lot of people this became an eye-opening moment for them to realize the experiences they were having were not the ones like they were seeing on TV.
You could probably relate this to modern times too, and talk about how racial stereotypes still exist on TV.
DeleteIn my essay, I would like to discuss the realization of segregation, the epiphany that different skin colors carry different experiences, and real-life problems which are still seen in the modern day. The prompt I plan on using to accomplish this is the 1988 prompt about a character's awakening within a novel, either psychological or mental. A short story which I think fits this prompt very well is Recitatif, because it shows that level of realization from both sides of the coin. Something that stood out to me in the documentary which will be helpful in my essay is James Baldwin’s realization that when he moved to Paris, he finally felt safe being a black man. He came to realize that France does not need racism or the N-word like the United States does. A film which I think can also come in handy while writing my essay is the film An Imitation of Life, for the picture it paints of the situation of being a white african in the time of racial segregation and civil rights. The actions of the characters closely mirrors those of others in similar positions at that time, and to a different extent people today with similar circumstances.
ReplyDeleteGreat essay, I like how you include the film "An Imitation of Life" in your argument. I think it adds something to your argument.
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ReplyDeleteI wanted to explore the idea of how America’s views of race have progressed over time and impacted the people of today’s generation. I would use the 1995 prompt to show how Baldwin highlights the values of African American people by using characters in his stories who are alienated from that culture. I would also use some of James Baldwin’s stories to show past ideals of society and how race was seen during the 50s and 60s. An example I would use is the narrator from “Sonny’s Blues,” as he became isolated from his brother and his adoration for jazz music, not understanding his views about the world. He assumes that his drug addiction has taken over his life and sees him as all the worst parts of himself. Another story I would examine is “Going to Meet the Man,” as Jesse was raised to think of African American people in a certain light. Not being allowed to form your own ideas on someone blinds you from seeing them from who you really are. I would want to use the “I Am Not Your Negro” documentary to show a better comparison between the past and the present. The progression of violence against African American individuals is a prime example of how some things have still not changed.
I think "Recitatif" by Toni Morrison could also be helpful to your essay because the story takes place over several different time periods. The two main characters go from young girls to fully grown women over the course of the story and they grow up in a time of lots of racial tension. I think you would be able to trace how the country's views on race have changed during that period.
DeleteI am intending to write my essay about how racism emerges in people and where it comes from. I do not believe bigotry is biological because it is a system of ideas so it has to come from somewhere. In my essay I intend to explain how often racism comes from the people around a person when they are young, especially the family. As children’s brains develop, they are very impressionable and grab onto ideas and feelings around them as they form their unique systems of values. The ideas around them are inherited and passed on, the cycle continues. “Going to Meet the Man” by James Baldwin is the obvious choice for material to support this thesis. The main character Jesse reflects on his childhood and how he was taken to watch the brutal murder of an African-American man. This activity was encouraged by both his parents so he felt positive feelings around the event. After all, he used to have a black friend and later in life he has a severe hatred for African-Americans. He clearly underwent some transition and there are many quotes I can use to support an argument of inherited racism. I also think “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison has quotes that can support this argument. It’s another story that features young children coping with the world and concepts such as racial differences. They draw from their mothers and the people around them. If I am able to think of a modern film to connect this idea to I intend to do so. The 1968 and 1988 essay prompts relate to psychological development and the attainment of new ideas so they could be useful in helping me frame my argument.
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ReplyDeleteI wanted to write something about resistance against society “norms”. I enjoyed reading the novel, 1984, I found it interesting how Winston was standing up against the majority of people in society. That is a common theme which I find very interesting, and the 1976 prompt addresses just that theme. I think the documentary as well as some of the shorter stories work very well in incorporating the theme of being in opposition to one’s society. There are characters who are in the minority, at least in status, who are imposing their will against their majority. African-Americans have been the subject of discrimination for centuries, and they are left out of place in society. Most importantly, in the quest for equality, African-Americans and James Baldwin are left in difficult conflicts. People like Baldwin, and Martin Luther King Jr. did not want to resort to violence, but is it necessary? I will use the short stories as literary examples, and then back it up with the documentary, which shows real-life examples. Through these, are multiple conflictions that are faced that can be analyzed and explored.
For this essay, I will be responding to the prompt from 2010. In this prompt I am asked to analyze the importance of "home" to characters in either a novel or play. I have chosen to use Recetifif and " I am not your Negro" It is in these works of literature that we as readers seen the journey that these characters encounter. Although the journeys differ greatly, it is the impact that is left on characters such as Twyla, Roberta, and James Baldwin that is truly reflected. They all leave the place that left a profound impact on their lives, but they all cannot truly escape the memories that they took with them. Using their stories I am going to answer the prompt.
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ReplyDeleteIn choosing the 2015 prompt, which focuses on the role cruelty plays as a theme, it is impossible to not address “Going to Meet the Man”. Between Jesse’s actions as an officer and his childhood memories, the use of violence is prevalent throughout the story. I want to point out that it's not only racism which drives such brutality, but also Jesse’s own insecurities and paranoia. Focusing on the first half of the piece, you can see the influence of Jesse’s father and community on his character. Working as a cop in the 1960s, his racism is challenged daily by demonstrators and the “Northerners”. This certainly angers Jesse, but there are moments where his emotions extend beyond that. When thinking about the protestors driving into town or the resistance of the boy in the jail, he is filled with “what he believed was rage...he felt an icy fear rise in him and raise him up…”(1753). I think Jesse is afraid not because he thinks his views are wrong, but because his surroundings are changing and he can’t control that. There are more protests and Jesse misses the way life was in his childhood, “the ease of former years”(1754). There are multiple symbols of this development like the cars driving by his home and the dogs. So, immediately following this fear, he acts out, shouting and beating up the boy. He finds sexual satisfaction out of his cruelty not only because it refers back to the lynching in his childhood, but also because he is reassuring himself that his surroundings are the same. With this point, I want to connect it to a particular quote from “I Am Not Your Negro”. Baldwin explains that “The root of the white man's hatred is terror. I'm gonna kill you. A bottomless and nameless terror, which focuses on this dread figure, an entity which lives only in his mind.”
ReplyDeleteI plan on using the prompts from the 70s about societal pressures. However rather than a fictional society I plan to use the past/present, and a bit of the future in order to capitalize on the film "I am not your negro"'s intention to show what today from James Baldwin's perspective would be/is. I want to touch on some major issues of each time in American society. A major one being police brutality. Such as that in "Going to meet the man", or of that seen in " I am not your negro", or in "This is America" by Childish Gambino, and Oddisee's " You grew up". Each one shadows one another. Thus showing the second part of the thesis, how it affects them. Thats where past, present and future aspect come into play, society has played a large and very influential role in how black America is today. James Baldwin saw this to a tee, Jessie, describes the man who started a domino affect, and Black America is what it all snowballed into too.
ReplyDeleteThe concept I had in mind was the relationship between Baldwin and Paris, France vs Baldwin and the United States when regarding racism. The idea that home is a place of mind or a dwelling sounds like a relationship between Baldwin and Paris in the documentary; their race relations are "irregular" from the relations seen in the United States vs the relations in Paris and it is where Baldwin "feels more at home" than he does in America with all it's treatment of African Americans.
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