Bigotry against African Americans has been intertwined in western culture for centuries.
The adversity that they have had to endured has been disputed through various modes of prose
like movies, television, and books. Specifically, in the 1960’s when racism was a great
phenomenon. James Baldwin born in Harlem New York (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987),
was a writer that focused on African American literature, LGBTQ literature, activism and civil
rights. He was an astounded, respected, loved, and cherished intellectual who skillfully addressed
American race relations from a conceptual standpoint. An example of this would be his timeless
piece of writing, “A letter to my nephew”.
In “A Letter to My Nephew”, Baldwin elucidates his experience with
having a younger brother during Jim Crow. During this era African-Americans had to deal with
extreme hate and systematic inequality. He incorporates imagery through statements like, “I have
carried your daddy in my arms and on my shoulder…. kissed and spanked him and watched him
learn to walk. He uses this to help state that viewing his nephews father grow up helped him
understand pain from a different point of view. It hurt him to have to observe the innocence of
his brother being illuminated. He came to a blunt realization that the world wasn’t set up for him
to succeed and that he would persistently have to tread cautiously. Baldwin didn’t want this same
occurrence for his brothers son, so he wrote him a letter to delineate what he would soon have to experience. Along with the warning, he also provides probable solution to aid in the
advancement of the nation and the mentality of white.
Although this piece is geared towards his nephew it is equally relevant for all black
youth in America. In view of the fact that this was published in the height of the civil rights
movement it was very profound because it illustrated a narrative that black people could connect
with. In this era of history the tension between Black Americans and society were very high.
Accordingly Baldwin felt inclined to speak out. “A Letter to My Nephew” was a prophecy amid the black community being prohibited civil liberties, in order for black adolescents to anticipate what they will have to manage in the near future. Baldwin aids in enlightenment so that they are not dumbfounded on how to navigate around the bias they will have to endure. In addition to preparing black youth, it also was written to guide the white population away from hate and towards a sympathetic mindset. Without justification for the actions of racist, he understood that this was a predicament that required cooperation from the whole nation. Baldwin utilizes his wisdom with the anticipation to improve society.
https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/manhattan/tribute-harlem-literary-gem-article-1.1535488
I love reading literature from the Harlem Renaissance and Civil Rights eras. I’ve definitely read a few of James Baldwin’s works for my high school English classes, but I can’t remember any specifics at the moment. I did, however, spend a great deal of time in high school studying Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison in my English classes, and the study of both still have a profound influence on how I think and act today.
I think that this piece as a whole is amazing. I truly believe that you are correct in saying that the work not only spoke to the nephew, but to the whole black community. I think it is great that during this time period, the black community had a leader such as Baldwin. I think that connection through the arts such as music, art, and writing is huge when it comes to personal connection. Because I am sure many people felt like Baldwin did at this time, maybe they couldn’t put it into words. But Baldwin could put it into words for them and that is beautiful.
Hi Bineta! I really liked your blog and I think that the issue you brought up is extremely important and also interesting. I personally had never heard of this piece of writing. I think it is so interesting how he writes this letter to his nephew but at the same time it relates to the whole black community as well. I think you also communicated that very well in your blog. Adding on, you made it very clear the time period this was occurring in so I also was able to understand the context this was in. I liked how you gave the backstory of the letter as well so we could understand what Baldwin was trying to say not only to his nephew but to all the black youth in America. I really found this interesting, I can not wait to read your next blog!