James Baldwin's Historical Review

James Baldwin's Historical Review

James Baldwin historical review.

The statement made by James Baldwin that suggests black Americans can mould and shape America into what it must become, is a statement that I truly agree with. “ It will be hard”, J.Baldwin says but as to why it will be hard, will be the epicenter of my essay. I believe changing America will be hard because of the Henry Louis Gates incident and statements from Obama’s speeches and Baldwin’s essay.

Henry Louis Gates, as highly educated as he was, became a victim of Racial profiling, which at its root is simply known as racism. In Baldwin’s essay, “my dungeon shook”, he Cleary states that for a long time, white Americans have had to believe that blacks are inferior to the white race. I consider this to be the source of discrimination towards Henry Gates when he was being given a much lower salary than he actually deserved. The year is 2009 and a great deal of change has occurred but not so lucky was Gates as he became a victim of racial profiling. Skeptical of the Lucia Whalen thoughts when she was in formed about the possible brewing situation we can draw a conclusion. That is directed at the fact that the neighborhood was upper middle class and any two black men acting suspicious deserved to be checked out. The article says Ms Whalen, “had also seen two suitcases on the porch”, while the men tried to break in. Primarily, what foolish thieve breaks into a house from the front around 12:00 pm.

When James Baldwin declared that,” the limits of your ambition were thus expected to be set forever”, we detect that future generations of the black population will be affected due to the restrictions of the idea of black success. Therefore it is hard, to changes ones ideology and way of perception. I’m sure to some extent it was unusual to imagine a black man residing in similar house to that of Ms Whalen yet alone that neighborhood.

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