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.