I am not your Negro

 

James Baldwin can be considered one of the foremost African-American thinkers of the twentieth century. This is because of the manner through which he was able to address the diverse matters that involved racial relations and the way that the character of the United States tended to contradict itself. In I am not your Negro, the opinions of this individual are addressed in such a concise manner that it becomes possible to gain an understanding of the way through which he was able to develop his perspective of American society. A black man born in the North, his visits to the South and being witness to the civil rights movement and the white reaction to it, made him an important observe of events. Being a Northerner does not seems to have excluded him from or made him oblivious to the plight of African-Americans in the South because Baldwin seems to have also become an important player in the advancement of the civil rights movement. He sought to make sure that there was the creation of an environment in the United States that sought to address the racial issue in such a way that there was a candid discussion of all the events that had taken place to precipitate it. In this case, he seems to suggest that individuals in the country, especially members of the white community, even the most well-intentioned, seem to want to sweep the racial issue under the carpet and move on as if nothing happened. However, Baldwin is of the opinion that there has to be a national dialogue concerning the contrasting stances on race so that it can be possible to ensure that this issue is dealt with once and for all.

Despite this stance, Baldwin also seeks to promote the idea that it is in the interests of all those involved, especially members of the African-American community, to continue fighting for their rights. This is especially considering that in the rest of society, there are often contrasting opinions concerning how to address the historical injustices that they have suffered. One of the most significant aspects of this documentary is that it shows the various reactions that the white community tends to have towards the oppressive history that African-Americans had to undergo. Among these is the contrast that can be seen between the rage that some feel when the issue is raised, on one hand, and the empathy that seems to come about depending on the circumstances. However, despite these feelings, there is often a failure to ensure that the issue that is the root of the problem, essentially race, is addressed. Instead, there are often attempts to make sure that there is the advancement of the idea that all that happened took place in the past and that everyone should just move on. This failure to consider the historical injustices that have taken place throughout American history can be considered a means through which to avoid addressing them and is also anticipatory of the contemporary world, where the issue of race is still extremely prominent in American society. Thus, Baldwin points out the contrasts and hypocrisy of American society and this is in such a way that it has been unable to come to terms with its racial past in order to prevent its continued prevalence in society.