Baldwin, BLM, and ELA

In watching this film, I found myself stunned at several points. I know that's an odd descriptor to choose, but hear me out. Much of what Baldwin talked about (or, Baldwin through Samuel L. Jackson) were concepts that I already knew about. However, there is a big difference between knowing and understanding, and this film helped me to make new understandings and has left me with much to think about. I will focus specifically on two points from the film that resonated strongly with me and really made me think about my positioning. 

In the film, Baldwin and other speakers talk about the need for white people to see and understand that structural racism exists and that they can be part of the problem. Speaking from my own experience, I know that I didn't question how power structures in society existed and operated for a long time. It really wasn't until I entered college that I learned about power structures in today's society and how they impact different people. For me, it's been an ongoing process of reflecting on my own positioning and how I am advantaged in society by my whiteness, and I am trying incredibly hard to educate myself on the structures that exist and what I can do to help challenge and dismantle them. In the film, Baldwin says that when you assert your “right to be here, you have attacked the entire power structure of the western world.” In Baldwin’s context, he’s talking about Black people asserting their right to exist, and this relates to structural racism in society. It’s pervasive and in a way, to question it is to challenge the power structures that have existed for centuries. To examine the power structure is one thing, but to stand up and challenge it and attempt to dismantle it is quite another task. Power and racial oppression are deeply connected, and hearing Baldwin talk about the power structures and the significance of standing up to them as a Black man made me consider my own positioning when talking about and challenging power structures.

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This connects to another quote in the film where Baldwin says, "When any white man in the world says 'give me liberty or give me death,' the entire white world applauds. When a Black man says the exact same thing, word for word, he is judged a criminal and treated like one, and everything possible is done to make an example" of him. This quote stood out to me because of how striking and horrifyingly true it is. Thinking about current events with Black Lives Matter and protests surrounding structural racism and discrimination, it feels like what Baldwin is talking about here is extremely relevant. These are basic human rights that are being denied in society, and Black people are still oppressed. While doing some research on the BLM protests, I stumbled on this article from just a few weeks ago that talks about "the deployment of federal agents and prosecution of protesters" during BLM protests. The article explains a report that talks about these targeting techniques as a way to thwart protests.  I feel like this quote, then, becomes incredibly relevant and important as we talk about ongoing Black Lives Matter protests and the increasing urgency with which we need to address structural racism. 

With an ELA class, we can have these conversations about power structures and oppressive forces. Students are aware of current events, and articles that talk about protests and movements like BLM can be brought into the classroom and can be a gateway to larger discussions of structural racism. There are many different texts that could be used to spark conversations, but writing could also be a powerful tool when it comes to talking about structural racism. Students can write about their experiences, whether they've been impacted by structural racism or if they've been advantaged by structural racism, and these writings and thoughts can help lead discussions about what we can do to dismantle structural racism.