LAPD

The experience didn’t begin when I arrived at LAPD, it began when I was driving into LA. I’ve been into downtown LA many times, and it never ceases to amaze me how you can drive into a corporate area, a business area, see people in suits, and tall buildings, and how literally a few blocks later, the entire canvas changes into something else. You see people pushing their carts that contains their entire life, see people sleeping on the streets, and a whole part of a city that is ignored.
I thoroughly enjoyed the performance that LAPD did for us. Something that I really enjoyed about it, other than just the subject matter, was this idea of theatre with no judgement. This is something that I have been thinking about for a long time. These people were performing something that was close to their heart, they were not thinking about blocking, voice, or other things that actors with formal training think about. They were just being and doing what they wanted, and as a result, what they produced, I felt was something that was spectacular. They were just doing theatre, not worried about anything else other than just making art. The LAPD is a space where they could do that. Also, when I first walked into the space, I didn’t think about it as a theatre space. As soon as they began to perform, it was transformed into something else other than an office. Just reminded me that any space can be considered a theatre space if the performers are dedicated, which LAPD was.

"The Devil Finds Work" -James Baldwin (Post by Daniel Goldenshtein)

Author: James Baldwin
Title: "The Devil Finds Work"

The book length essay is both a memoir of his experiences watching movies and a critique of the racial politics of American cinema. It opens with a discussion of a Joan Crawford film, which is the first movie Baldwin can remember seeing, and ends with a discussion of The Exorcist, which came out in 1973. Among the other movies discussed are Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night, and The Defiant Ones. Although it is a popular culture critique of films mostly, Baldwin weaves in anecdotes about his life, which are illuminating and devastatingly poignant. Take the following extract for example:

“My father said, during all the years I lived with him, that I was the ugliest boy he had ever seen and I had absolutely no reason to doubt him. But it was not my father’s hatred of my frog-eyes which hurt me, this hatred proving, in time to be more resounding than real: I have my mother’s eyes. When my father called me ugly, he was not attacking me so much as he was attacking my mother. (No doubt, he was also attacking my real, and unknown, father). And I loved my mother. I knew that she loved me, and I sensed that she was paying an enormous price for me” – p.21 of ”The Devil Finds Work”

This passage literally struck me in the face when I read it. Baldwin seems so poignant yet ultimately powerful with his words. His love for his mother contrasts with the hatred that his step-father has for him, yet the passage is not one of pity. It just presents the fact in a poignant but not overly sentimental way. The way this man writes is so captivating. That sentence is about his father hating him for his eyes is deeply saddening. That is how this man is a phenomenal writer. When a writer can make someone feel something, I think that is when he/she is a success.

From Arielle Siler

James Baldwin
A Talk to Teachers
Baldwin’s essay, A Talk to Teachers, reaffirmed my belief that in order to make social and political change then we must be candid with our children regarding social and political issues. Thus, teachers are responsible for inspiring the younger generation to make change. Baldwin mentions that children are already aware of their environment. Baldwin uses the example that a Black child who gets smacked by their parents for trying to sit in the front of the bus with a White person, is aware that something is amiss. In order for that child to be proactive in making change, as opposed to accepting the miserable state of their condition, they must be shown how to look at the world for themselves.
At the end of the essay Baldwin says that he would tell children that the images of people on television and movies are “based on fantasies created by very ill people.” This makes me aware of the fact that children are at a higher risk for looking at themselves and others as stereotypes if they are not taught about the nature of the stereotype. Though Baldwin’s essay was written some decades ago it is still relevant especially now that teachers are encouraged to “teach to the test,” which takes away valuable class time that can be used towards teaching critical assessment.

From Austin Andries

James Baldwin- Notes of a Native Son
Thoughts by Austin Andries

James Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son is an intriguing combination of criticism, pride, and opinion. Baldwin’s strong voice permeates this collection of essays in a way that can be very off-putting at times. In his analysis of popular works by black artists and writers, Baldwin has a tendency to speak bluntly and is occasionally demeaning towards the classic works of the African-American canon. Nevertheless, his powerful opinions and passion towards the black image is extremely apparent to the reader and he makes use of it quite often. For example, the concern of the African-American identity is a theme that Baldwin focuses heavily on, and at times his arguments are valid and poignant. Simultaneously, he has a tendency to articulate very harshly against any form of stereotype or fictional creation. The debate here is a strange one as of course any group of people would be strongly adverse to stereotype. What I don’t believe Baldwin takes into consideration is the fact that every group is stereotyped: Jews, whites, Latino, blacks, Chinese, etc. It seems as if Baldwin is arguing that blacks should be above this stereotype and that it is disgusting what the image of the African-American has become. He lashes out against some of the most important African-American literature (Native Son, and Uncle Tom’s Cabin) calling them, “badly written and wildly improbable.” The question of improbability is in this case unnecessary as both works are pieces of fiction and fiction is called such because it is improbable. As for making judgments against their styles, Baldwin is of course welcome to publish his opinion, but he should also think about the fact that these texts have lasted the test of time in the American canon because of their subjects, themes, and styles. Overall, I feel that if Baldwin has a desire to reform the African-American image, he should first examine his voice and how he speaks against other work. If the only concept of the African-American that whites have is that of Aunt Jemima in the kitchen, then there is a necessity to educate them otherwise. Baldwin’s verbose rants against said topics may not be the best starting place. The most successful way to have groups assimilate is to find common ground, not point out the differences between them. In order for different nationalities and cultures to see the similarities in others, one cannot stand out more than another in a negative light.

Emma Barrow

Emma Barrow

‘Hope on a Tightrope’, I feel like the tightrope has gotten smaller since 2008. West speaks of progressives gaining power and steam once more but boulders and logs and debris is being thrown on the tracks. There is a great need for unity, or a common voice. Everyone is so afraid of the backlash for standing up for something they believe in. We live in a culture of instantaneousness. There is no waiting time for information, the internet has made sure of that. With the click of a button you can access things from around the world, we can skype with people on different continents. Yes, technology is fantastic, I so grateful for it, but it has desensitized us to how long things take in the real world. When Obama came into office he had 8 years of negligence to begin repairing. I am not arguing that he and his adminiatration have down enough, or quickly enough, but they have been working. Americans expect the economy to be instantly mended, the war to be instantly over, all the damage to miraculously disappear. You can’t just jump out into nothing without a safety net, you’ll fall. You wouldn’t jump off a cliff without a parachute and I think that the parachute is what needs to be built. It’s a scary time, we see the tea parties, which are interesting because while they are totally absurd they are also growing at an extreme pace. People are grasping anything they can, they feel voiceless and when people feel powerless they resort to extreme meaures.

Brother West-Living and Loving Out Loud by Cornel West

As reading through the book by Cornel West I could feel that he is so passionate about his work and to express his ideas to others. He also seems to try to understand what others are suffering from. Maintaining one’s identity feels like quite hard because we live in a society where we interact with others. As he mentioned on the very first page that ‘I’m a bluesman in the life of the mind and a jazzman in the world of ideas’, it is clear that he is trying to keep his soul. And he seems to be not alone that who wants to keep their soul. People that are mentioned in his essays are also the ones that are passionate to express their identities. This is a very important matter for me because I have always suffered from expressing myself as one identity.
I personally felt always not that much comfortable about talking religions (and it is not easy still). It is not that I don’t want to talk but it feels like such a heavy topic. I actually do not want to talk about it unless I am talking to my closest friends. However it makes me curious that how Cornel talks about his journey relating with his religion and his belief.

Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin

It was definitely quite fascinating reading most of this novel through, as it is a semi-autobiographical journal. I would be quite curious to see what parallels are drawn exactly between author, James Baldwin, and character, John. Either way, there are strong religious and morale factors that come into play throughout this story, whether it be race, religion, sexuality, or parental relationships. This was Baldwin’s first novel he ever wrote, so I can only imagine how much the text truly corresponds to his real life. Growing up in a racist community, amongst a religious upbringing, during a very anti-color age, has really appeared to become the dictator at large for the prose.

http://books.google.com/books?id=UY6jJNIz8vQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=go+tell+it+on+the+mountain&source=bl&ots=l4XaA1rcMy&sig=Oeeejc8NkzOAcVlD9mGvO5nG6Vc&hl=en&ei=KW-1TJPAG4jWtQPhmIWsCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Danielle Korman

Bushonomics

Researching Cornel West, I was surprised to find a man who was so accessible to the ‘younger’ generations. His upbeat personality makes you want to listen to him, and though you have full freedom to disagree with his opinions, he makes you want to hear what his views on the issues are. He is someone who you want to hear talk, rather than just feel you should. And if listening to a lecture is not your style, well the man collaborates to create hip hop music. His song ‘Bushonomics’ is the song I chose to look at because I found the lyrics entertaining. You can listen to the song at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FauNFa9epc, and read the lyrics at http://lyrics.wikia.com/Talib_Kweli_%26_Cornel_West:Bushonomics. The first five lines of West’s song act as it’s thesis statement, “revolutions require participation/ but sometimes people be hesitating/ the government must respect the will of the people/ the government serve the people/ the people don’t serve the government”. The song is almost in essay style with the thesis stated, the lyrics continue to act as backup for the thesis with mention of education, heath care, weapons of mass destruction, the environment, and the very apparent oil issues of today. Cornel West is very critical of the government both under Bush, and of Obama, as can be seen in Fault Lines’ interview with him (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVl8QFhnadY)

Optimistic Activism

What stood out to me in my reading of James Baldwin's texts was his unparalleled optimism. Hold on, let me explain. I'm aware Baldwin, like all activist writers, is unhappy. However, he writes not with the motive to make vast, sweeping incriminations or spread hate. He writes to inspire change, as this blog is called, "Be the Change." This is most exemplified in the line, " It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have. " Baldwin is clearly upset, using terms lie ferocious enemy should not be taken lightly. However, he blames ignorance. He does not immediately assume that the enemy is naturally evil, greedy, or cruel. He finds them uneducated, and hopeful that through his text he will expand their knowledge and views in to spreading justice, not tearing it down. I find this unbelievably respectable in a world where so many activists are rash and upset with the world around them.

Daphne Mir

Preface to Notes of a Native Son

This work is available here on the internet: http://books.google.com/books?id=HDnxq1cyEq4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=notes+of+a+native+son&source=bl&ots=zJokBpzFPJ&sig=XKaN0ttz52zmN_qB_6EavsO6LZc&hl=en&ei=Ys6vTJeCEoOesQPdk9z8Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

I read through the preface and two things stood out to me.

First his reasoning for publishing the book being tied to the sudden realization that things had changed, that writing which may have described self evident truths at the time now provided a valuable look back. Made me wonder when I'll be old enough to feel I have a scope of understanding of things.

The second thing that stood out to me was his mention that "The savage can, now, describe the civilized: the only way to prevent this is to obliterate humanity."

This seems like a pretty wonderful leap, one whose consequences have snowballed with new forms of media allowing all classes to be observed and defined. He continues, "Neither a person nor a people can do anything without knowing what they are doing". Again this is even truer today, where Wikipedia allows history to be documented before it's done happening. Wacky.

Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin

In James Baldwin’s, Notes of a Native Sun, Baldwin seems to be discussing racial perspective and analyzing what it means to be “Black” or a minority in this country. But what he actually seems to be touching upon is racial culture and how it separates the people of the country. Baldwin looks at literature first, mainly Stowe’s Uncle Tom and Wright’s Native Son and whether he meant to do it or not, the points that he is arguing have to do with a separation of culture and how “white” culture was thrust upon African slaves that were brought to the country later to become African Americans. He speaks about how it is poor writing and unlikely writing. He also looks down upon Uncle Tom because of the fact that the slaves were praying to the “White God” to cleanse them. While he brings up a valid point he fails to acknowledge that the point Stowe is making is the same as the one he later uses in a metaphor to support his argument: the missionaries traveling to Africa to cover up the natives. It is not an issue of the “White” dominating the “Black,” but rather two completely contrasting cultures and one has an older presence in the country and has larger numbers than the other. Therefore one culture imposes itself on the other, despite what the outcome may be. Stowe was speaking of the irony of two cultures colliding, one stronger than the other.

Harley

A Beaming Lecture by Cornel West

I came across a lecture given by Cornel West, I believe at Princeton University. He crafts his speech/lecture brilliantly, catching the audience off guard and simultaneously reeling us in: "I hope I say something that not simply empowers,enables, and ennobles you, but most importantly unsettles you." He goes on to talk with much enthusiasm that it is education that can shake things up--or unsettle. When a people becomes educated they are given the eraser of all that is preconceived or predetermined; given the tools to un-house all that dust that has settled from outside . They can "muster the courage to learn how to think for themselves."

In America, we are usually told that the the idea of settling down, or being settled is a positive thing. We should work, earn money, and have kids, watch the news, and be quiet and patriotic: The American Dream!

Cornel West grabs us and shakes us with his words, reminding us that if we are to be awake and aware as a people we must educate ourselves, in the deepest sense of the word education. We can not fight against the American injustices, if we do not know what these injustices are.

So perhaps to become "unsettled" has unhappy connotations, but progress is only made from state of acute perceptiveness and yet unknowing and unnerved readiness.

James Baldwin's Notes of a Native Son

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In James Baldwin’s, Notes of a Native Son, Baldwin depicts a world, in his eyes, as a division between black and white. A perception of the “underprivileged” versus the “group of amazingly well-adjusted young men and women” (page 27) seems to be the on going comparison. The Aunt Jemimas’ and Uncle Toms’ of yester years are long gone, but the idealism and stereotypes are still engrained in our society minds of the black man. America has an underlining hidden racism for any ethnicities that doesn’t conform to the model of our ideal citizen. However, when we look back at our history, it’s a melting pot of groups who made this country. From the Irish, to the Vikings, to the Spanish and the natives who were here first. America is a country filled with cultures and differences in beliefs. So how is it that even now in 2010, we have racial discrimination and anti same sex marriage rallies?

A passage that really stuck out in my mind was on page 9 when Baldwin wrote: “ I think all theories are suspect, that the finest principles may have to be modified, or may even be pulverized by the demand of life, and that one must find, therefore, one’s own moral center……” A society might dictate what is acceptable and what is not, but I personally believe that is up the us as individuals to break through censorship and cookie cutter ideals. As artists, we have the opportunity to speak through our designs and create a world of less hate and more understanding of our differences regardless of race, gender or religious beliefs.

Ivy Bloemsma-Russell

Hope On A Tightrope

"The question is never whether catastrophes will come but rather, when they come, what choices will we make."
These wise words of Dr. Cornel West came from a magazine article entitled Hope On A Tightrope (actually an excerpt from West's new book Hope On A Tightrope: Words And Wisdom). This has got to be the most moving, provocative, one page article i have ever read; Short yet seeping with depth. The excerpt is about what empowers us to keep on walking "the tightrope" in the face of forces that try to knock us off our course. West describes the "three pillars of spirituality" as hope, faith, and love; "yet it is courage that enables all three". The passage begins with West's recollection of his own experience when he was told he had terminal cancer with only a few months to live. It was then that he "turned away from fear", and embraced his hope with courage, faith and love. Death is imminent, so why feel powerless. Embrace the power that you have and make a change in the world. These words that came from a man who was close to death make me want make change in my life now. I am far from old, and i have alot of time to make change on this earth, so why waste time.

QUESTIONS FOR FUN : Questions Straight from Mr. West's Website

In what ways, if any at all, do you think a sense of cultural awareness in America could provide hope to the United States? in the present state of social and economic turmoil ?

What kind of human being do you want to be?

“How can we include or rewrite our educational history books to note a sense of pride, strength and courage from slavery?” - Joann Williams Olora

stand up speak out! @:D

-Zach Schwartz

Restoring Hope

For this post I watched Dr. Cornel West talk about his book Restoring Hope. The link for this video can be found at the bottom of this post.

After reading some excerpts from the actual book I couldn’t help but wonder how a book full of such raw emotion is edited. And while I acknowledge that his speech was likely also edited, I would imagine it was edited to a lesser degree – not going through publishers. There is something to be said about the way Cornel West speaks. His tone and demeanor itself was part of an answer to a question that interested me as I began looking into Mr. West. How do you approach a topic that spans the socio-economic spectrum without offending or ostracizing some of your audience? Mr. West accomplishes this feat by somehow blending himself into every person in the audience. Mr. West is dressed in a nice suit with a slightly unkempt beard, he mixes standing up straight and delivering resounding ideas with hunching over his podium and simply talking, and finally he mixes words spelling bee contestants dread with simple slang words.

One idea Mr. West mentioned that was particularly interesting was the idea that being an optimist is a dangerous thing to be. Instead, he promotes being a “prisoner of hope.” This struck me because it was both poetic and intriguingly positive compared to most of what Mr. West talked about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPaf9gqBIx8

Blues for Mister Charlie by James Baldwin

I chose to read the first act of Blues for Mister Charlie, a play by James Baldwin. The play opens with the murder of Richard, the son of the Negro Reverend Meridien Henry by a character named Lyle, who is the white owner of a dry goods business. The stage is split down the center to designate a ‘white’ side and a ‘black’ side. The first scene holds some very poignant information, which hauntingly brought my attention to the recent homosexual suicides, and most recently the anti-gay attacks in the Bronx. (Here is a link if you are unfamiliar with this story: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/seven-arrested-in-bronx-in-anti-gay-attacks/)

In the scene a group of Negro protesters have returned from a demonstration, and enter the home of the reverend. Several remarks are made about how fortunate they are to not have had bricks thrown at them, and to have finished the demonstration unscathed. Violent retaliation against the whites is suggested by one of the demonstrators who is discouraged by their failed ‘non-violent attempts’ (Lorenzo’s lines pages 15-16). It brought about a lot of admiration in me. To be in a situation where wrongs are done to you, or your community, and to act in a rational way is one of the hardest things to do. In my education I have encountered two conflicting arguments regarding this. The first is the saying ‘An eye for an eye…’ and the second ‘Turn the other cheek’. While the first saying might be the most just of the two, the second saying is one that will lead to progression in a battle for peace. By demonstrating peace we set an example for others and for our oppressors. In demonstrating violence we lose the struggle for justice, and thus begin again a cycle of continued hatred.

James Baldwin // A Talk to Teachers

James Baldwin's A Talk to Teachers is a text that has been an undeniable influence on my teaching experiences this year. In this speech, Baldwin was really urging teachers to demolish the unhealthy state of American education, transforming it from a system of skewed indoctrination into a forum for empowerment. The child, Baldwin states, can only make peace with the "conspira(cies) set out to destroy him" based on his own decision of what "he is worth" (331): not based on what outside forces tell him he is worth. Granted, the initial stages of this self awareness are frequently nurtured by the support of peers and mentors, but they should only be influences solid enough to guide, not dictate. Students must be taught from within themselves, drawing references from the world around. It is therefore critical for us all, and especially "those who deal with the minds and hearts of young people" (325) to take the greatest care in nourishing our minds and our actions based on the global societal truths. In a sense, we must "take care of ourselves" with the utmost respect so that others may do the same, based off of us. Our responsible existences dutifully nourish those of others, enabling them to take care of us in return.

Baldwin's primary and most urgent point is that citizens and teachers with senses of responsibility must "be prepared to 'go for broke'" (325)while they approach existence and teaching as forms of activism and resistance to the highest degree. He says that "what passes for identity in America is a series of myths about one's [supposedly] heroic ancestors" (330). Although Baldwin finds this to be a falsehood, and though it does admittedly hold much merit, the remainder of his speech holds a subtext suggesting that there is absolutely no reason for this to be a sustained mode of operation within American society. There is no reason why we can not be the true "heroic ancestors" for our descendants.

James Baldwin "Sonny's Blues"

Frank Raducz

I read James Baldwin’s short story entitled “Sonny’s Blues” and what stuck with me was the racial segregation that took place in Harlem. A line that stuck with me was when the narrator says that his students are “filled with rage”. This line touches on overall feeling of the African-American community at the time. It is interesting to see the author touch on the notion of rage within a community especially at that time when racial tension was at a high level. It is ashamed that the rage that is felt in the community is caused from the lack of advantages that the community had and this caused some groups of people to delve deeper into committing crimes.

But even though this lack of opportunity had its many negative sides to it, Sonny ends up creating beautiful music through this struggle in his life and in his community. It was also interesting that Sonny’s brother (narrator) and himself never quite got along until he went to go see him play. Before he was so focused on the fact that his brother was on drugs but couldn’t see the talent and passion that his brother had possessed.

Notes of a Native Son

Grant Dunn

After reading parts of Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin, one statement that resonated with me was on page 7, “In effect, I hated and feared the world. And this meant, not only that I thus gave the world an altogether murderous power over me, but also that in such a self-destroying limbo I could never hope to write.” Baldwin’s tone is bleak, and quiet blunt. His sense of self-examination seemed to have painted an all too despair view of the world around him, and his relationship with in it. Obviously his opinion either changed as his life as a writer evolved, or he simply suppressed his true opinion on being a black author in today’s world. Baldwin proves the point that self examination can be tiring, intense, and not always result in an ideal conclusion. That being said, Baldwin has managed to push aside his conceived notions of himself, and continues to write, simply as a writer, not a “black” writer (despite what critics may pronounce). Baldwin’s attempt to simply be a writer is a bold one. Through my experience viewing galleries at CalArts, I can say the pieces that consistently move me the most aren’t about “being black” “being a woman” or being anything, but rather cover larger, more universal subjects.

Preface: Notes of a Native Son, James Baldwin

Haley Kooyman
read thankfully from : http://books.google.com/books?id=HDnxq1cyEq4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=notes+of+a+native+son&source=bl&ots=zJokBpzFPJ&sig=XKaN0ttz52zmN_qB_6EavsO6LZc&hl=en&ei=Ys6vTJeCEoOesQPdk9z8Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

I chose to read the preface for it's immediate availability, and also to discover what the author had to say about the journey it took to write such a memoir. After writing and producing my first one woman show, I learned that the amount of self reflection it takes to turn one's story into an artwork-- an honest, thought provoking creation-- is all at once terrifying, dangerous and fulfilling. the actual start, the beginning, is the most difficult part. It's addressed in this preface: Where do we come from, and how do we acknowledge the different aspects of our being? He says, "I am what time, circumstance, history have made of me, certainly, but I am, also, much more than that. So are we all." It's about discovering how you, the being, created you, the being. How we react to circumstance, how we deal with it and push through it, more create a definition of our humanity than the actual, sensuous circumstance.
Baldwin lays this notion next to his personal racial struggle-- and the struggle of the world to give definition and meaning to both the "inheritance" and "birthright" of people, black and white. Such as my mind goes.

Democracy Matters/ Cornel West

Democracy Matters Are Frightening in Our Time by Cornel West

link: http://www.logosjournal.com/west.htm

Differently from the society we live in, in which true nature of facts are often masked by massive media and consumerism, the Cornel West made a clear and specific choice when presenting deterioration of democracy through three dogmas that determine our society.

It really stroke me when West commented on the Free-market fundamentalism shifting the focus from health clinics to plastic surgeries, from children’s care to strip clubs. The huge difference between this matters, health care and esthetic treatment for instance, are many times not perceived in society. And while television and radio are announcing the new laser hair removal center, people are dying from not receiving proper medical care. I find it insulting that we are lead to believe we are the only existing human beings in the world at the same time as business leaders are homogenizing us.

If you think about the second dogma, aggressive militarism, you begin to understand how cyclically the system regresses. In order to end crime and violence the U.S. government chooses to make use of the very same. West resumes: “It views crime as a monstrous enemy to crush rather than as an ugly behavior to change”

It is really fascinating how he is able to unfold the three dogmas and link them to racial issues that haunt society for centuries.

I just commented on the two most striking segments of the reading for me, but there’s much more to learn ourselves if you read the whole article.

- Paula Rebelo

Karina Y. "A talk to teachers" -J.B

A talk to teachers- James Baldwin.

I recently read Baldwin's essay "A talk to teachers". The essay touched many points with me because it not only spoke about why the African American students have a difficult time in school's but why students who live in low income areas do in general. Which is a system I went through being from Los Angeles and part of the LAUSD system for a few years.

Baldwin 'keeps it real' with his straight on confrontation that the way that America is teaching it's children is simply not working and will not continue to work unless changes are made. A particular section of the essay that grasped my attention was when Baldwin states “ There is something else the Negro child can do, too. Every Street boy-and I was a street boy so I know-looking at the society which are not honored by anybody looking at your churches and the government and the politicians, understands that this structure is operated for someone else’s benefit- not for his. And there’s no reason in it for him. If he is really cunning, really ruthless, really strong- and many of us are- he becomes a kind of criminal. He becomes a kind of criminal because that’s the only way he can live. Harlem bad every ghetto in this city- every ghetto in this country- is full of people who live outside the law…” This is something I’ve see first hand and many people don’t understand that in these kinds of environments people do have options but its much easier to sell crack on the sides of the streets and join some gang because there at least you have some sort of brotherhood and protection.

The education system doesn’t understand that? Or want t comprehend that. Firsthand I feel as if they feed children books they are not interested in, give them standardized tests which are designed for many of them to fail and then they put them in lower are classes which they feel they have to succumb to everyone else. Or they treat the other kids special, the ones who are taking AP level classes and Honors courses. They treat those with the respect and attention they should be treating everyone.

I recommend the essay to those who have not had the opportunity to read it.

Notes of a Native Son

Rogelio Orozco

Notes of a Native Son-James Baldwin

http://books.google.com/books?id=HDnxq1cyEq4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=notes+of+a+native+son&source=bl&ots=zJokBpzFPJ&sig=XKaN0ttz52zmN_qB_6EavsO6LZc&hl=en&ei=Ys6vTJeCEoOesQPdk9z8Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

I read his Autobiographical Notes, and what I was struck most with was how calm Baldwin seemed throughout this entire piece. He didn’t come off as being angry, biased, or malicious throughout the entire piece. Even though he used such powerful statements such as, “...I hated and feared white people. This does not mean that I loved black people,” (pg.7) in its context, it sounded like he wasn’t angry or bitter at all. It could be from his preacher background, but he has the ability to sound passionate but not angry or sound like he is attacking people.

Also, what I thought was fascinating was the reason why he didn’t like black people. According to Baldwin, the reason that he, “despised black people,” (pg. 7) was because they did not produce Rembrandt. I don’t know why this resonates with me so much, but it does. He doesn’t like that an artist that he respects and enjoys did not come from his lineage. One can assume that there must be other artists that he enjoys that aren’t black, that he must wish his culture would have produced.

Something that I really appreciated was his explanation of he sees himself as a black writer. He explains how he does not talk about being black at great lengths because he feels that being black is only a gate way to being able to write about other things. He accepts and understands that most other people will perceive him as being a black writer, but what he wants to do is just write. He is not trying to deny his culture or background, but he doesn’t want that to be the only thing focus on. As he says when he closes his autobiographical notes, “I want to be an honest man and a good writer.”