Thursday, April 17, 2008
Baldwin on Malcolm X and King
The future of the Negro in this country....
The question that white people of the country need to ask themselves...
Feel free to answer Baldwin's question here. A couple of questions on THE FIRE NEXT TIME can be found below. Also, I will post some more later. Please identify yourself also, so I can give you credit!
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2 comments:
I believe this interview focuses on the exact thematic material that has been central to every text, and every discussion we have had thus far -- to what degree should the African American individual embrace the popular white culture, or to what degree to rebel? Although Baldwin asks the White American to reflect upon his own view and definition of the Black man, he seems to be more focused on reconciling the different approaches to African American movements toward civil rights, as represented by the extremes --Malcolm X and MLK. It's the same paradox every Black author grapples with, do you write in a manner tangible and accessible to the white reader in an attempt to bring more widespread attention to the African American experience, or in doing so, are you doing your own culture a disservice by playing into the very interests of the oppressor. Malcom X comes to represent the aggressive view in which you rebel against the oppressor, without undermining yourself by playing into what they want (the less accessible or palatable approach in terms of literature and writing for white audiences) whereas MLK comes to represent the more accessible, peaceful approach to reconciling White/Black relations. MLK's view is more appealing to white audiences in its passivity, but can be argued to make concessions to the White individual, and thus propell the view that African Americans are subservient to White Americans.
-ben manheimer
I believe this interview focuses on the exact thematic material that has been central to every text, and every discussion we have had thus far -- to what degree should the African American individual embrace the popular white culture, or to what degree to rebel? Although Baldwin asks the White American to reflect upon his own view and definition of the Black man, he seems to be more focused on reconciling the different approaches to African American movements toward civil rights, as represented by the extremes --Malcolm X and MLK. It's the same paradox every Black author grapples with, do you write in a manner tangible and accessible to the white reader in an attempt to bring more widespread attention to the African American experience, or in doing so, are you doing your own culture a disservice by playing into the very interests of the oppressor. Malcom X comes to represent the aggressive view in which you rebel against the oppressor, without undermining yourself by playing into what they want (the less accessible or palatable approach in terms of literature and writing for white audiences) whereas MLK comes to represent the more accessible, peaceful approach to reconciling White/Black relations. MLK's view is more appealing to white audiences in its passivity, but can be argued to make concessions to the White individual, and thus propell the view that African Americans are subservient to White Americans.
-Ben Manheimer
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