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purplemuskogee's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
5.0
The most chilling thing about this book - apart from the theme, obviously - is that it was published in 1972 and yet it could have been published in 2024 and I would not necessarily notice.
So much that is still current: James Baldwin in Paris, describing how Algerian men are victims of police violence - "I had watched the police, one sunny afternoon, beat an old, one-armed Arab peanut vendor senseless in the streets, and I had watched the unconcerned faces of the French on the café terraces, and the congested faces of the Arabs". "And in fact, Algerians were being murdered in the streets, and corralled into prisons, and being dropped in the Seine, like flies".
On 27 June 2023, a young French-Algerian boy - Nahel - was shot dead (at point-blank range) by a policeman for a traffic violation, the police initially saying they had no choice as the young boy was using his vehicle as a weapon. A video proved this was not the case and that the police had lied about the circumstances of the killing. Two fundraisers were started on GoFundMe in the following days: one to support Nahel's family - raised about €200,000 - and one to support the policeman's family, which raised over €1.6 million.
This tells you all you need to know about how sadly accurate James Baldwin's observations still are in 2024.
Before the terms systemic racism and "white racism" became mainstream, James Baldwin writes that "The powerless, by definition, can never be 'racists', for they can never make the world pay for what they feel or fear, except by the suicidal endeavor which makes them fanatics or revolutionaries, or both; whereas, those in power can be urbane and charming and invite you to those homes which they know you will never own. The powerless must do their own dirty work. The powerful have it done for them".
On landlords, and capitalism: "There is no pressure on the landlord to be responsible for the upkeep of his property: the only pressure on him is to collect his rent; that is, to bleed the ghetto. (...) Buying cheap and selling dear is what made this country great".
And finally, on police brutality and police impunity, where too often the killers are not charged, or charged much later after public outcry, and on the police working together to cover their tracks (I could not help thinking of Breonna Taylor, murdered at 26 in her own home):
"The white cop in the ghetto is as ignorant as he is frightened, and his entire concept of police work is to cow the natives. He is not compelled to answer to these natives for anything he does; whatever he does, he knows that he will be protected by his brothers, who will allow nothing to stain the honour of the force. When his working day is over, he goes home and sleeps soundly in a bed miles away from the [N word], for that is the way he really thinks of black people. And he is assured of the rightness of his course and the justice of his bigotry every time Nixon, or Agnew, or Mitchell - or the Governor of the State of California - open their mouth".
I received a free copy of his book via Netgalley; it was published in 1972.
So much that is still current: James Baldwin in Paris, describing how Algerian men are victims of police violence - "I had watched the police, one sunny afternoon, beat an old, one-armed Arab peanut vendor senseless in the streets, and I had watched the unconcerned faces of the French on the café terraces, and the congested faces of the Arabs". "And in fact, Algerians were being murdered in the streets, and corralled into prisons, and being dropped in the Seine, like flies".
On 27 June 2023, a young French-Algerian boy - Nahel - was shot dead (at point-blank range) by a policeman for a traffic violation, the police initially saying they had no choice as the young boy was using his vehicle as a weapon. A video proved this was not the case and that the police had lied about the circumstances of the killing. Two fundraisers were started on GoFundMe in the following days: one to support Nahel's family - raised about €200,000 - and one to support the policeman's family, which raised over €1.6 million.
This tells you all you need to know about how sadly accurate James Baldwin's observations still are in 2024.
Before the terms systemic racism and "white racism" became mainstream, James Baldwin writes that "The powerless, by definition, can never be 'racists', for they can never make the world pay for what they feel or fear, except by the suicidal endeavor which makes them fanatics or revolutionaries, or both; whereas, those in power can be urbane and charming and invite you to those homes which they know you will never own. The powerless must do their own dirty work. The powerful have it done for them".
On landlords, and capitalism: "There is no pressure on the landlord to be responsible for the upkeep of his property: the only pressure on him is to collect his rent; that is, to bleed the ghetto. (...) Buying cheap and selling dear is what made this country great".
And finally, on police brutality and police impunity, where too often the killers are not charged, or charged much later after public outcry, and on the police working together to cover their tracks (I could not help thinking of Breonna Taylor, murdered at 26 in her own home):
"The white cop in the ghetto is as ignorant as he is frightened, and his entire concept of police work is to cow the natives. He is not compelled to answer to these natives for anything he does; whatever he does, he knows that he will be protected by his brothers, who will allow nothing to stain the honour of the force. When his working day is over, he goes home and sleeps soundly in a bed miles away from the [N word], for that is the way he really thinks of black people. And he is assured of the rightness of his course and the justice of his bigotry every time Nixon, or Agnew, or Mitchell - or the Governor of the State of California - open their mouth".
I received a free copy of his book via Netgalley; it was published in 1972.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Police brutality
mattyvreads's review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Lord. This man does not miss. G-d damn.
This piece is so beautifully written, no review I could write could do it justice. Each Baldwin book I read is equal to, if not better than, the last.
These essays chronicle the life and loss of prominent Black men in Baldwin’s life including his friends and peers Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.. His words honor their legacies and prove how their friendships shaped him.
Baldwin covers a wide array of topics, offering his insight on the Vietnam War, classism, and what Baldwin calls “Black Capitalism” as an insidious tool of white supremacy. He discusses how and why White America is so scared of their private lives, and discusses self-confrontation and self-atonement through the lens of Malcolm X’s teachings. He touches on the foundation of Black Joy, and what Keise Layson would later call “Black Abundance”.
He even talks about time travel?? Well, not really, actually. But he does talk about the nature of time and “kaleidoscopic consciousness.”
The most moving part of the book for me was the tenderness with which he describes Malcolm X. He paints a vivid picture of his kindness and gentleness, which does not negate his courage in challenging the “bitter and unanswerable present.” He describes how Malcolm X didn’t hate White people, but so loved Black people, that he would do anything to help them live and thrive, including tearing down the people who stood as obstacles for their success (namely uninformed White Americans.)
Calling these essays thought-provoking does not do them justice. They are perspective-altering, in a way that is accessible to any reader.
In closing, f#ck the French!
This piece is so beautifully written, no review I could write could do it justice. Each Baldwin book I read is equal to, if not better than, the last.
These essays chronicle the life and loss of prominent Black men in Baldwin’s life including his friends and peers Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.. His words honor their legacies and prove how their friendships shaped him.
He even talks about time travel?? Well, not really, actually. But he does talk about the nature of time and “kaleidoscopic consciousness.”
The most moving part of the book for me was the tenderness with which he describes Malcolm X. He paints a vivid picture of his kindness and gentleness, which does not negate his courage in challenging the “bitter and unanswerable present.” He describes how Malcolm X didn’t hate White people, but so loved Black people, that he would do anything to help them live and thrive, including tearing down the people who stood as obstacles for their success (namely uninformed White Americans.)
Calling these essays thought-provoking does not do them justice. They are perspective-altering, in a way that is accessible to any reader.
In closing, f#ck the French!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Cursing
rieviolet's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
The writing itself is really really good, it is James Baldwin we are talking about, how could I find faults in his writing competence? There are also so many powerful and impactful reflections on topics such as race, white supremacy, and police brutality, reflections that are still so very relevant in this day and age.
I think that what I struggled with the most is the thematic structure of the book. It felt a bit scattred and it was a bit difficult for me to follow and connect all of the different episodes and events mentioned. However, I certainly recognize that my very lacking knowledge of the time period and of the specific American sociopolitical context certainly did not help.
I think that what I struggled with the most is the thematic structure of the book. It felt a bit scattred and it was a bit difficult for me to follow and connect all of the different episodes and events mentioned. However, I certainly recognize that my very lacking knowledge of the time period and of the specific American sociopolitical context certainly did not help.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Police brutality
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Pedophilia, Slavery, and Death of parent