Page 99 - The Language of Composition 4e Teacher Edition Sample.indd

the Depression of the 1930s failed to make a that cotton just because I loved you, then you 4
dent in Negroes’ relationship to white workers have done something to yourself. You are mad.
in the labor unions. Even today, so brain- Now let’s go back a minute. I talked earlier chapter 4
washed is this republic that people seriously about those silent people — the porter and the
ask in what they suppose to be good faith, maid — who, as I said, don’t look up at the sky if
“What does the Negro want?” I’ve heard a great you ask them if it is raining, but look into your
many asinine questions in my life, but that is face. My ancestors and I were very well trained. Other Voices / James Baldwin
perhaps the most asinine and perhaps the most We understood very early that this was not a
insulting. But the point here is that people who Christian nation. It didn’t matter what you said
Copyright (c) 2023 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Uncorrected proofs have been used for this sample chapter.
ask that question, thinking that they ask it in or how often you went to church. My father and
good faith, are really the victims of this conspir- my mother and my grandfather and my grand-
acy to make Negroes believe they are less than mother knew that Christians didn’t act this way.
human. It was as simple as that. And if that was so there
In order for me to live, I decided very early was no point in dealing with white people in
that some mistake had been made somewhere. terms of their own moral professions, for they
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Strictly for use with its products. Not for redistribution.
I was not a “nigger” even though you called me were not going to honor them. What one did
one. But if I was a “nigger” in your eyes, there was to turn away, smiling all the time, and tell
was something about you — there was something white people what they wanted to hear. But
you needed. I had to realize when I was very people always accuse you of reckless talk when DIFFERENTIATION
DIFFERENTIA
TION
young that I was none of those things I was told I you say this.
orld
Connections to W
was. I was not, for example, happy. I never All this means that there are in this country Connections to World
touched a watermelon for all kinds of reasons tremendous reservoirs of bitterness which have Baldwin’s claims in paragraph 14 might
s claims in paragraph 14 might
Baldwin’
that had been invented by white people, and never been able to find an outlet, but may find r resonate with students with memories of
esonate with students with memories of
I knew enough about life by this time to under- an outlet soon. It means that well-meaning the Black Lives Matters pr otests after
the Black Lives Matters protests after
stand that whatever you invent, whatever you white liberals place themselves in great danger Geor ge Floyd’ s death in May 2020, and
George Floyd’s death in May 2020, and
project, is you! So where we are now is that a when they try to deal with Negroes as though students might value exploring the connec-
students might value exploring the connec-
whole country of people believe I’m a “nigger,” they were missionaries. It means, in brief, that a tions, both dir ect and indir ect (for instance,
tions, both direct and indirect (for instance,
and I don’t, and the battle’s on! Because if I am great price is demanded to liberate all those “I can’t breathe” became a statement of
eathe” became a statement of
t br
“I can’
not what I’ve been told I am, then it means that silent people so that they can breathe for the first pr otest in 2020). Y ou could ask them to find
protest in 2020). You could ask them to find
you’re not what you thought you were either! time and tell you what they think of you. And a evidence of connections between Bald-
evidence of connections between Bald-
And that is the crisis. price is demanded to liberate all those white win’ s statements in paragraph 14 and
win’s statements in paragraph 14 and
It is not really a “Negro revolution” that is children — some of them near forty — who have recent discussions of racial injustice.
ecent discussions of racial injustice.
r
upsetting the country. What is upsetting the never grown up, and who never will grow up,
country is a sense of its own identity. If, for because they have no sense of their identity.
example, one managed to change the curricu- • • •
lum in all the schools so that Negroes learned CLOSE READING
more about themselves and their real contribu- What passes for identity in America is a series of 15 Consider discussing Baldwin’ s charac-
Consider discussing Baldwin’s charac-
tions to this culture, you would be liberating not myths about one’s heroic ancestors. It’s astound- terization of “[w]hat passes for identity in
terization of “[w]hat passes for identity in
only Negroes, you’d be liberating white people ing to me, for example, that so many people America” (par. 15). How would students
America” (par
. 15). How would students
who know nothing about their own history. And really appear to believe that the country was describe his tone here? What point is he
e? What point is he
describe his tone her
the reason is that if you are compelled to lie founded by a band of heroes who wanted to be making? T o what extent does his ar gu-
making? To what extent does his argu-
about one aspect of anybody’s history, you must free. That happens not to be true. What hap- ment in this paragraph hold true today? To
ment in this paragraph hold true today? T
o
lie about it all. If you have to lie about my real pened was that some people left Europe because extend the discussion, you could also have
extend the discussion, you could also have
role here, if you have to pretend that I hoed all they couldn’t stay there any longer and had to go students r ewrite or add to his paragraph,
students rewrite or add to his paragraph,
ceptions of
updating it to r
eflect their per
205 updating it to reflect their perceptions of
moder n-day American identity , including
modern-day American identity, including
shifting views of our “her
oic ancestors.”
shifting views of our “heroic ancestors.”
05_sheatlc4e_40925_ch04_170_315.indd 205 12/10/22 2:34 PM
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING
Baldwin’s arguments in paragraphs 11 and thought you were either! And that is the cri-
12 are provocative, and some students may sis.” You could have students explain that
need help understanding his reasoning. It is statement in the context of the two para-
also the section that includes the use of the graphs, being aware of their language. If an
N-word and direct comments about white open discussion might be uncomfortable,
privilege. One doorway into a discussion you could ask them to draft their own expla-
here would be to ask students to explain nation of the statement, not to be shared
the sentences at the end of paragraph 11: publicly, and then you could lead a class
“Because if I am not what I’ve been told I discussion of the ideas and Baldwin’s claims
am, then it means that you’re not what you about identities.
Other Voices / James Baldwin 205
05_sheatlcte4e_46921_ch04_170a_315_2pp.indd 205 1/20/23 7:45 PM