Author: James Baldwin
In the film, "I Am Not Your Negro," James Baldwin attempts to educate others about race in Western society. Baldwin suggests that "the story of the Negro is the story of America." He states that the term "nigger" is a constructed concept created by whites in an effort to dehumanize African Americans and maintain a sense of superiority.
Western society reinforces white superiority through the policies and institutions it creates. Baldwin states that the schools that Negros attend are inadequate to those attended by their white counterparts. The textbooks used portray African Americans as inhumane and uncivilized. According to Baldwin, because of these school experiences, "Negro children discover that there is no place for them in society at a very young age." In an attempt to change the educational experiences of Negro children, Dumas would suggest that Negro children need an educational system that has, "Teachers, administrators, and district leaders creating opportunities to engage in honest and very specific conversations about Black bodies, blackness, and Black historical memories in and of the school and local community" (17). Without these opportunities and discussions, African American children are segregated in education and society.
A critical weakness of the educational system is that it occurs within a society and tends to adopt and teach the beliefs, customs, and values of the dominant population. In his "Talk to Teachers" article, Baldwin states, “Now the crucial paradox which confronts us here is that the whole process of education occurs within a social framework and is designed to perpetuate the aims of society" (1). As long as the educational system reinforces the ideals and practices of Western society, African American children have limited access to an equitable and adequate education which in turn, decreases their chances of obtaining quality employment, healthcare, and housing later in life.
Limiting opportunities for populations of people through systemic inequalities aligns with Rose's beliefs on interlocking systems of racism. In her lecture she states that, “there are interlocking effects to systemic racism and that various aspects of society produce structural inequalities in ways that are interdependent, interactive and compounding.” The educational, employment, healthcare, and housing institutions are grossly intertwined and perpetuate the values and beliefs of the dominant culture. As a result, individuals of other races or cultures can in fact, as Baldwin suggests, "conclude what others feel about [them] based on the state of their institutions." If we do not confront the structural inequalities in our institutions then we cannot change the state of our society.
Hey ,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in that education, housing and healthcare are grossly intertwined and hold the values and beliefs of today's culture. There needs to be Policy changes in all 3 of these areas before we will see any signs of improvement. There is soooo much inequality that needs to be addressed in order to address the changes needed within our society as well. This sums up my favorite quote from the film, "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced!”"
Sue--
ReplyDeleteI had such a hard time choosing which aspects of the film to discuss this week. There were so many powerful quotes from Baldwin throughout the film. His quote, "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced” was a favorite of mine too. I truly believe that if we continue to hide behind this false history that we teach in schools and that we preach about in politics, nothing will change. If we do not own it, we cannot change it.
Thank you for your thoughts! :)