Self-imposed Stalemate: Thoughts on ‘My Dungeon Shook’ by James Baldwin

Posted bysofiemykielPosted inopinion, social issues

In reading James Baldwin’s letter to his nephew about the one hundredth anniversary of the emancipation, his message is as relevant today as it was in 1962.

He opens his letter explaining the circumstances under which he felt inclined to write the letter. He tells young James that his father had been defeated by the white man’s beliefs long before he died. He urges young James to create and believe in his own reality and not that of one forced upon him.

Baldwin goes into his grievances with his countrymen, saying that, “they have destroyed and are destroying hundreds of thousands of lives and do not know it and do not want to know it.” This line stung as the truth resonated throughout my being. That truth has regrettably survived and remains an identifying characteristic of white America. So the question on so many minds across the world is how do we fix this? How can we create the change that we have so desperately needed for the last 400+ years, since slavery began in this country? Baldwin says, with a great deal of love, that it is not until white people can free themselves of their misconceptions that the black community can truly be free.

Baldwin reminds his nephew that, “what they believe, as well as what they do and cause you to endure, does not testify to your inferiority but to their inhumanity and fear.” After many long stares in the mirror, I must agree. What are we afraid of? Baldwin expounds that, “people find it difficult to act on what they know. To act is to be committed, and to be committed is to be in danger. In this case, the danger, in the minds of most white Americans, is the loss of their identity.”

When you think of American identity it is the ‘American Dream’ and the pride associated with our earned freedom. We pride ourselves on the idea that upward mobility is a possibility for everyone who works hard, takes risks and sacrifices. Our identity is an image of a working-class man pulling himself up by his bootstraps… and yes it’s a white man pulling himself up with other white men. Not included in this image, among other things, are the slaves that were exploited to aid the white man in this climb. Millions of black lives were disregarded when drawing this image of the American dream. This identity that we still cling to with pride is inherently sullied to the roots. So if we must rethink our identity and perhaps form a new identity, then we must question every way in which we have benefited from slavery and the black community.

“Great men have done great things here, and will again, and we can make America what America must become.” This is true! Look at civil rights activists like Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, Amelia Boynton Robinson, Dorothy Height, Marsha P. Johnson, Thurgood Marshall. The list goes on and on with other impactful and outstanding civil rights activists in this country, not to mention scientists, environmental activists, educators and so on. (Just don’t Google “Great Americans” because the results are quite disappointing) But we must become. Become philosophical in our approach. Become aware of our daily word choices and actions. Become conscious of the deeply ingrained racism within us. Become aware of the appropriation that most of us unknowingly take part in.

So, why now? And what now? In order for us to move forward together, respectfully, unified under one flag, then we must become what Baldwin believed we can be, free. As white people we must free ourselves from our pre-conceived ideas about what it means to be an American. We must free ourselves from the idea that we must accept or tolerate culture that isn’t our own… because the truth is it is our culture. Each minority group in our country has just as much right to be here as anyone else. They are what make our country vibrant and diverse. This melting pot we pride ourselves on. We need to celebrate that diversity. Not by posting a catchy meme or by simply saying so. We need to make some significant changes in our mindset and our actions. It’s going to come down to re-educating ourselves and the next generations.

“Any upheaval in the universe is terrifying because it so profoundly attacks one’s sense of one’s own reality,” to which I say bring it on. Upheave what you know and choose to act consciously and knowingly. We are all past the point of claiming ignorance. With access to social media, online resources, free libraries, and community groups, there is no excuse other than you don’t want to. If you can’t make time in your schedule to read an article or reflect a little, then yes, you are choosing to be a racist via laziness. What is the purpose of your existence if you can’t find your happiness and success without tearing others down? Your success gained without greater purpose, is not success in the realm of the truly free. Let us just be better. Use your talent, skills or status to better mankind. Choose to be better; you have the power.

“It is the innocence which constitutes the crime.” Deep down, we know we can all do better. I urge you now to rise to become the better you that exists inside each and every one of us. Educate yourself. Read. Learn. Reflect. And then, make small permanent changes. Stop silencing minority groups by gaslighting. Stop turning your gaze from unpleasant topics. Stop changing the topic because you are uncomfortable. Think of your word choice. Think of how you react in situations and why. We are NOT in a social stalemate. We have very accessible ways to overcome this issue. Policies, laws and other systems were built by our imagination and our minds. It is all starts with our mindset. Stop perpetuating this abusive cycle.

I’ve made it super easy to follow up on this post. Below you can find some documentaries on Netflix and some helpful online resources…all with just one click! You don’t even need to copy and paste. Please take a minute to choose one item below that you haven’t already read or watched and learn a bit more today. Go on!

Films and documentaries to watch on Netflix:

Review articles and books:

Thank you for reading this post. I would greatly welcome all comments or suggestions below. Please like this post if it was helpful for you. A little encouragement is a push in the right direction or a nudge in a new direction.

I wish you all good health in these crazy times. Please wear your masks and be kind to others.

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