I Am Not Your Negro
Name
Institution
Professor
Course
Date
I Am Not Your Negro by James Baldwin criticizes America and condemns it for its inability to do away with racial inequality. The paper will discuss three critiques of America, as presented in the documentary. The movie remains one of the most-watched because it showcases American society’s brutality and the trauma that the black folks went through during the 20th century.
“I am terrified of the moral apathy in this country.” As the statement is narrated in the film, one can see the happy faces of the whites who are smiling in the parades. They are insensible of the suffering and the cruelty that is meted out on the people, co-occurring in the towns and cities (Newman, 2019). According to Baldwin, the whites have become moral monsters because they deceived themselves to the extent that they do not perceive a black man as human.
James Baldwin states that “People cannot bear too much reality.” here, Baldwin says that truth hurts the American people, especially the whites (Newman, 2019). In an event where truth prevails, one immediately shields themselves with distractions and fabrications.
The blacks in the Deep South were suffering because of the deeply ingrained racist policies (Newman, 2019). When these injustices were finally brought into the limelight, it only highlighted the brutality that had long taken place in the South.
“The story of the Negro in America is the story of America. It is not a pretty story. What can we do?” James Baldwin asserts that America is trying to hide from the truth that blacks are suffering under white supremacy (Newman, 2019).
America is in continued denial of the suffering that the African Americans are going through. The images of how blacks are mistreated are relived daily (Newman, 2019). In the film, African Americans are being lynched while politicians pretend to be apologetic. In America today, the black community protest and carry posters written ‘Black Lives Matter,’ an indication that what happened during the time of James Baldwin is still ongoing.
References
Newman, E. (2019). I Am Not Your Negro —James Baldwin’s Challenging Critique Of Race Relations In America. https://ennyman.medium.com/i-am-not-your-negro-james-baldwins-challenging-critique-of-race-relations-in-america-fbf61b42d433