Things I Wrote For English Class

Baldwin and Coates Comparison

*In English 1010, I had to compare an excerpt of Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin and an article titled "The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates *

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Valiant America, our beloved land of the free, is known for its brilliant stars, pure white stripes, and red streaks of innocent blood it leaves in its wake. Massacres are embellished with glorious names, such as Manifest Destiny, and rewritten to engender patriotism in the country's youth. Yet, the souls that were tortured and exploited are regarded as necessary collateral damage for the greater good of society. Even though this could be applied to various ethnic groups throughout history, chattel slavery is credited as the United States' first sin. For hundreds of years, the enslaved members of society were treated as subhuman. Often, the masses were controlled with fear. Regardless of intent or severity, insubordination was often met with unproportionally ruthless and cruel punishments. Despite slavery being conditionally outlawed with the 13th amendment, terrorization of this manner remained with the inception of the Jim Crow Laws and the Ku Klux Klan. As time progressed, advocates fought to overturn these institutions with the most notable being the Civil Rights Era. Understandably, these events were the catalyst for other issues, such as generational trauma or poverty. Within "Notes of a Native Son" by James Baldwin and "The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates, racism and its residual effects are processed in different ways. For instance, Baldwin reflects upon his relationship with his father and his inner turmoil with developing a hatred for white people. However, Coates attests to the necessity of reparations by exploring the impacts of generational poverty through the recollection of the life of Clyde Ross. Although both essays detail real-life accounts of discrimination, Coates' focus on reparations is more effective at acknowledging the Black experience due to supporting it with data, connecting the past to the present, and demanding action.

Although both Baldwin and Coates focus on the black experience with racism and discrimination, the inclusion of relevant data in Coates' article strengthened its overall credibility. Within "Notes of a Native Son," Baldwin recalls his slow realization of the of the implicit biases that exist in society. Despite being aware of black stereotypes, he held a preconceived expectation that others would solely judge his character. As a result, the contempt his coworkers held for him was inexplicable and unatonable in Baldwin's mind. Furthermore, after visiting the same restaurant on several occasions, his cognitive dissonance resolved once he recognized that the workers never intend to serve him. This epiphany led to the realization that, "It was the same story all over New Jersey, in bars, in bowling alleys, diners, places to live. I was always being forced to leave, silently, or with mutual imprecations." (Baldwin, 592). Unfortunately, Jim Crow gave vendors the right to cater exclusively to white patrons. Once the devastation passed, this crushing reality sparked fury in their victims. Due to the highly descriptive and emotional nature of Baldwin's writing, the readers can empathize with the struggles he faced and may share his rage as well. In a similar fashion, Coates utilizes an autobiography of Clyde Ross to garner sympathy from the audience. Although his article uses more logos than Baldwin, Coates incorporates accounts from other sources and people to highlight the emotional impact that these historical events had on the people of that time. Unlike Baldwin's essay, these stories are only framing devices for an overarching issue. Throughout the text, Ross' firsthand experiences are juxtaposed with what occurred in the general black community at the time. This is supplemented with historical context, conclusions from other writers, and other forms of data. Considering that this evidence is irrefutable, less readers would question Coates' credibility. Even though "Notes of a Native Son" was powerful, the audience may feel detached from the discrimination described due to it being published during the Civil Rights era. Thus, one could assume that these events were isolated or even misrepresented by him. Unfortunately, without a form of reference, a reader would be unable to differentiate between a common experience and an outlier. Therefore, Coates' inclusion of references allows the audience to have a more rounded view of the black experience.

In addition to this, Coates goes on to link past events with the struggles a black person may currently face. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, modern people may feel removed from past acts of racism due to the difference in time periods. This allows certain parties to suggest that humanity moved pass this issue and would disregard any dissenting opinions. In fact, any meaningful discussion of systemic racism, generational poverty, generational trauma, and other relevant topics may be framed as self-victimization. Without proper knowledge of the cause of a community's current standing, understanding them would be difficult. Fortunately, Coates' article thoroughly analyzes institutional racism and its impacts on future generations. For instance, while examining the housing crisis within the black community, he first described the concepts of contracted housing and redlining, both of which prevented black Americans from owning housing. When, "cut off from sources of new investment[,] their homes and communities deteriorated and lost value in comparison to those homes and communities that" (Coates) were not limited by these systems. Eventually, those that inhabit these neighborhoods are faced with higher rates of crime, poverty, and other negative circumstances. Consequently, the future generations of these communities would suffer from their ancestors being denied these rights. Comparably, Baldwin reflected upon his immediate past in order to process his internal conflict. Though, the focus on his strained relationship with his father makes Baldwin's analysis more personal than Coates' examination of systemic racism. Within Baldwin's piece, he

reflected on his attempts to distance himself from his father. During his adulthood, Baldwin found himself adopting a similar distrust for the white people surrounding him that his father had. Despite his efforts to completely severe his relationship with his father, he reluctantly accepted the influence his father continues holds in his life. While Baldwin's input was interesting introspective, his experiences will resonate more with people who harbor similar feelings towards their own parents. Overall, Coates' investigation into the source of the problems faced by the black community is more effective because it instills a deeper understanding of their current situations.

While both works could engender frustration and sympathy, Coates explicitly demanding action leads to change. Nevertheless, with Baldwin's use of imagery, metaphors, and other kinds of descriptive language, it is easy to be emotionally moved from his writing. Even if someone has never experienced racism, his work could easily allow the readers to see the world through his eyes. Baldwin's writing, and others like it, are especially important for how they encourage empathy. Furthermore, understanding someone's inner turmoil humanizes them and validates their experiences. Despite this, it is vital to actively work to reverse the impact racism has on society. As a result of the introduction of slavery, the creation of Jim Crow, segregation, and other biased institutions, the natural growth of communities of color were forcibly stunted. With wounds hundreds of years old, it is impossible for America to heal without intervention; so, Coates presents reparations as the solution to this dilemma. He suggests, "But as surely as the creation of the wealth gap required the cooperation of every aspect of the society, bridging it will require the same" (Coates). Even if Coates' proposal of reparations is more theoretical, its emphasis on the importance of reversing these generational problems would encourage readers to discover more solutions. Coates goes on to clarify that reparations are "more than recompense for past injustices—more than a handout, a payoff, hush money, or a reluctant bribe. What I'm talking about is a national reckoning that would lead to spiritual renewal". Unlike the common conception of reparations, Coates suggests that the country needs change its very heart to truly fix the damages left by these heinous acts. In contrast, Baldwin's piece simply stops on frustration and sadness. If one stops here, then tensions between groups would only increase. Hence, inciting the one to undo the mistakes of the past acknowledges the importance of the issues faced by black Americans.

To conclude, both "Notes of a Native Son" by James Baldwin and "The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates are essential to conveying the complete experience of a black person in America. With the incorporation of strong pathos, Baldwin accurately depicts the frustration and internal struggles one may feel when faced with an abundance of racism. On the other hand, Coates focuses on the external struggles, such as systemic racism, and how it negatively effects the community as a whole. Even though both works are written effectively, Coates' inclusion of data and through reasoning allows for a wider audience to understand how deeply this impacted the black community. In addition to this, encouraging reparations instead of only expressing his frustrations like Baldwin did allows for growth in the community. In the final analysis, Coates' inclusion of an individual and cosmopolitan perspectives creates a more authentic depiction of the black experience.