"The story of the Negro in America, is the story of America. It is not a pretty story. What can we do? Well, I can tell you. I don't know how it will come about. It will be bloody. It will be hard. I still believe that we can do with this country, something that has never been done before. We are misled here because we think of numbers. You don't need numbers, but what we need, is passion." The quote is a James Baldwin quote narrated by Samuel L. Jackson in the documentary I Am Not Your Negro; James Baldwin and Race in America. The idealist in me would like to believe that George Floyd was the tipping of the iceberg and that change will begin to happen. James Baldwin was right. The protests will be bloody. The mission has been hard. I am conflicted by the almost "trendiness" factor of the current protests and movements (especially on social media platforms), but I am still glad to see people coming together for a common cause. Like James Baldwin wrote, the passion is important. The number of people advocating for Black Lives Matter movement right now is high. The passion in people is what will keep the movement going and make significant change.
Also said in the documentary, "White people are astounded by Birmingham (in 1963). Black people are not... This is happening all over the country... There is no difference between Birmingham Alabama and Los Angelos." In the 1960's, white people were surprised by racism and police violence against the black community. In response to recent current events, I am noticing the similar reactions of many white people; shock. Just because this is new to white people, this is the everyday experience of black people in Birmingham, Los Angelos, and even Minneapolis, Minnesota.
At another point in the documentary, while Lorraine Hansberry was speaking to Robert Kennedy, she said that she was concerned about a civilization that produced a photograph of a white cop standing on a black woman's neck in Birmingham, Alabama. The documentary showed the photo of the woman on the ground, surrounded by white officers. The photos of George Floyd with a police officer kneeling on his neck, and the photo of a black woman with a police officer standing on her neck are eerily similar. In both photos, there are multiple police officers standing around the scene, seemingly okay with the actions that are taking place. These two photos are differing by almost 60 years, but the content is the same. The parallels are uncanny. How is it possible that this is still occurring?
Lastly, after learning more about James Arthur Baldwin in the documentary, I was reading some of his poetry which can be found here. I appreciate, especially during pride month, his intersectionality advocacy work. Even though his sexuality was semi-mysterious, he has a large following of black, gay, authors who are inspired by him and his writing.
Hello Rachel! I really appreciate your comparison regarding George Floyd to the photograph from Birmingham. These photos go to show us that although so many years have passed and some progress has been made, it is far from enough. In addition, your first quote from James Baldwin is still applicable today. It IS going to be hard, and we are far from "there" yet in regards to justice for Black Americans. I, too, hope that this is not just a "trend" for the upcoming weeks, but a movement showing real change and progress. I guess time will tell!
ReplyDeleteHi, Rachel--I am glad you mentioned the "trendiness" factor. I too have wondered if the efforts are genuine or if people feel pressured to act and say things because if they don't say anything they will be called insensitive, racist, or even white supremesists. Does trendiness lead to immediate action (even if it may not be genuine) and if it does, would we rather have the action than wait out the time for everyone to feel genuinely supportive?
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel. I agree with you that there are so many parallels between the violent acts of the past and those that are still happening in our world today. I, too, am left wondering how these injustices are still occurring. Will this finally be the tipping point for change to take place? I also appreciate how you bring up the aspect of "trendiness" regarding the protests. I have seen several posts on various social media platforms that have left me wondering about the true intentions of some who are attending the marches. Thank you for bringing this concept up in your blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post, Rachel, and the link to Baldwin's poetry. I also appreciate the photo. Indeed, what is happening right now is not new. And yes we need to hope that those white folks who have suddenly stopped 'hitting the snooze button' will be in it for the long haul, for the road ahead is long and hard.
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