Struggle for Love against Racism: James Arthur Baldwin - Essay Example

James Arthur Baldwin Mid-twentieth century is described as time in which the U.S. through some specific individuals was fighting against the racist heritage in America. Many African Americans such as Martin Luther King, Ralph Ellison, and James Baldwin demanded to be heard. They took the stage as not only writers and public intellectuals, but also civic leaders. Despite their effort, it is apparent that African American writers suffered from invisibility. In relation to this assertion, this proposal paper aims at expounding on James Arthur Baldwin. In addressing this, the paper will expound on his biography, his influence on the African American social status, his contribution to the freedom-development, and his contribution to other writers. James Arthur Baldwin, one of the prominent American authors, was born in 1924 in New York. He was the eldest son of a family of nine children. His father, who he was uneasy with, was a religious person. Baldwin grew in poverty. Probably it is as a result of this that majority of his work explored the themes of poverty, racism, as well as alienation and rejection. He linked himself with a Negro novelists group after the Second World War and occasionally expounded on the inequality in the handling of both the blacks and whites. Baldwin exemplified the theme of racism for portraying the blacks were entitled to equal rights in the society ("Sonnys Blues", 2015). He was an exceptional writer in black and gay literature in American history. Baldwin is also renowned of participating in the Civil Rights movement. Although he died in 1987, he remains as the most important as well as vocal advocate for equality. Love and racism are two things that can exist in the same society. Love unites people whereas racism destroys the life of people. Racism is very significant in American society. It is claimed to have started with the discrimination against the blacks. The novel “If Beale Street Could Talk” is one of the Baldwin’s extraordinary novels that expounds on the struggle for love in a racism environment. Throughout the story, Baldwin expounds on how the blacks were mistreated in the society (Henderson and Thomas 10). According to him, every crime in the society including rape and fights were linked to the Negros, who were blacks. Despite all these racism challenges, the book shows that some small groups of Negros stuck together and through love struggled against racism for the children. Through the book “If Beale Street Could Talk,” Baldwin paints the real picture of America in the 20th century. From it, we can affirm that the blacks suffered very much because of their skin color. Apart from being jailed for wrongs they did not do, they struggled very much in order to survive. In tandem with this claim, “If Beale Street Could Talk” shows how the American society was cruel and unjust to the blacks. For instance, Fonny, a character in the novel, was put in jail as revenge by a racist policeman, Mr. Bell. In writing this, Baldwin was explaining how racism affected the life of common black men in the American society. In other words, Baldwin through “If Beale Street Could Talk” explores the harsh reality of racism in American cities. Baldwin used this novel to express the sad reality of the African-American life and how they found it hard to progress (Deshmukh 21). Having grown in Christian family in addition to following the footsteps of his father, a pastor, Baldwin expounded on the theme of the narrative of conversion in some of his writings. This narrative is well expounded in Baldwin’s novel “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” In this novel, Baldwin explains on how sinners seek for forgiveness. Another book by Baldwin that expounds on this theme is “No Name in the Street.” These texts which were separated from each other by a span of 20 years, were influenced by Baldwin’s voice as well as vision picked from his biography. For instance, “No Name in the Street” offers direct personal testimony of Baldwin life from his adolescence to adulthood (Henderson and Thomas 23). In addition to this, Baldwin used his essays to offer several reconstruction complements. Additionally, his work on conversion shows the essence of one reconciling with the past instead of running away from it. From the theme of the narrative of conversion, we can affirm that Baldwin played a very significant in religion and human perception. He challenged people to “cast the sins of their past into the sea of forgetfulness” (Henderson and Thomas 10) so that the old things cannot continue to haunt them for the rest of their lives. Additionally, he argued that it is only through acknowledging the past that a person can discover the true representation of oneself. Thus, the writings works of Baldwin influenced the way many people in America perceived themselves. It made some of them including racists to stop discriminating the blacks. Criticism is part of writing that requires one to be very courageous. It involves bringing the real picture of practices in the society in writing. The criticism of power determines his or her success in writing. As it was introduced above, Baldwin’s work was full of criticism. He used oppressive language to empower himself as a writer in addition to validating the life and struggle of a people in American society. The works of many writers in the 20th century was influenced by Baldwin’s writings. The majority of the writers feared to express themselves because of the racism practice. Baldwin managed to touch America’s conscience, emphasizing on the commonness of all people. His effort fortified other writers like Orde Coombs, who wrote, “It is not too much to say that this man saved our lives, or at least, gave us the necessary ammunition to face what we knew would continue to be a hostile and condescending world” (James Baldwin 2015). Baldwin through his work managed to influence other writers to write about what they see and think is wrong. For one to become an author or a promising writer, he or she must utilize the talent for writing. It is only through the perfection of a talent that one becomes a guru in a specific area. One of the renowned gurus in the American history is James Baldwin. His success in writing did not come from the blue. Baldwin started building on his talent at quite a young age. He unraveled his writing potential, and from it, he received support from the immediate environment that constituted of his teachers. Baldwin worked as an editor for the school magazine despite continuing with the preaching work. After completing high school and working with some organizations, he embarked on writing seriously. This journey of writing profession by Baldwin plays a very significant role to many writers. Apart from challenging other writers, it encourages them by informing them of the paths associated with writing. The success of Baldwin despite the challenges he faced as a black man makes many authors remain strong in the profession of writing. In relation with this, it is apparent that Baldwin managed to remain audible despite being silenced in many national occasions because of his homosexual practice. His success in this informs many writers that the writing profession requires them to take the bull by its horns in order to be successful. Baldwin believed in one thing in life, “if you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go.” This phrase is used by many writers today. Just like Baldwin, the majority of the writers use their past to conquer their future. The decline of racism and oppression against the blacks in America was as a result of civil movements. One of the persons that contributed to the success of these movements is James Baldwin. Through his books, Baldwin educated a good number of generation of Americans about their rights and the advantage of the civil-rights struggle. He educated the whole generation of Americans about the receptivity of Afro-Americans (James Baldwin, 2015). The majority of the Baldwin’s writings were about race relations. In addition to this, Baldwin participated directly in the organization of various protests. It is through the effort of Baldwin and other people that the blacks managed to fight for their rights. In addition to this, it is apparent that homosexual is considered a legal practice in America because of Baldwin together with other activists call for the end to discrimination against homosexuals. In conclusion, James Arthur Baldwin is a renowned American writer that wrote many inspiring books and articles. His writing works contributed significantly to the American history. Unlike many authors, Baldwin courageously wrote about the African-American oppression in the American society. Apart from emphasizing on the commonness of all people, Baldwin advocated for the rights of homosexuals. He was a brave man, and as a result of this, he participated directly in the organization of various protests. His influence on the African American social status is very significant; he led to the decline of racism in America. His contribution to the freedom development is also evident. The majority of his writings were of racism and the importance of commonness in all people. Additionally, Baldwin influenced other writers positively. Works Cited "Sonnys Blues" by James Baldwin: A Critical Analysis. 2015. Web. 4 Oct. 2015. http://kndashy41.hubpages.com/hub/Sonnys-Blues-by-James-Baldwin-A-Critical- Analysis Deshmukh, Bharati. A Study of Struggle for Love against Racism in James Baldwin’s If Beale Street could talk. International Journal of Applied Research 2015; 1(6): 21-23. Web. 4 Oct. 2015. http://www.allresearchjournal.com/archives/2015/vol1issue7/PartA/1-6- 29.1.pdf Henderson, Scott and Thomas P. Critical Literacy Teaching Series: Challenging Authors and Genre. Web. 4 Oct. 2015. https://www.sensepublishers.com/media/1913-james- baldwin.pdf James Baldwin. 2001. Web. 4 Oct. 2015. http://www.lib.subr.edu/BLACK_HISTORY/Baldwin,%20James1A_%2001.30.2003.pdf Read More