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.