The Marginalization of African Americans (Essay Sample)

Firstname Lastname Instructor’s Name Course Number  DATE \@ "d MMMM yyyy" 13 October 2016 The Marginalization of African Americans: Insights from Baldwin and Lorde James Baldwin and Audre Lorde are both acclaimed African American writers and shared common experiences as blacks growing up in America. It is little wonder then that their literary works have common themes. In A Letter to My Nephew, James Baldwin writes a letter to his fifteen-year-old nephew, James. In the letter, he describes the harsh face of racism in the world that is unfolding around him. He tells young James and those of his generation to seek strength from the love imparted on them by other African Americans, and which they now must pass on to "[their] children and [their] children's children." Baldwin had many experiences to share, mostly words motivated by pain and anger. Baldwin wanted to show his nephew how cruel the society he has been born to is, and how he could survive in it (Baldwin). Audre Lorde’s A Litany for Survival is a short poem consisting of three long stanzas and a final three-line stanza. As the title suggests, it is a communal prayer of alternating speakers, a leader, and a flock of supplicants. The supplicants an oppressed and devalued group saying a prayer to emancipate the children from the marginalization that they suffer continually (Lorde). Both pieces of literature are resplendent with the themes of marginalization and survival. James Baldwin believes that American white society has inadvertently put "the Negro" in an untenable position. He tells young James that the society he is in has segregated him in the ghetto and did not expect him to excel, and demands that he ‘makes peace with mediocrity.’ His predicament is only because he is black. He does not think the malice of present white citizens created this, believing instead that it resulted from innocent oversight on their part; this has become so normal that many Americans whites are oblivious to the existence of African Americans. At the end of the letter, he tries to explain to his nephew what integration means (Baldwin). A Litany for Survival talks about marginalization. The title suggests a communal prayer of alternating speakers. The prayer asks whether anyone deserves to be devalued and discarded as the leader and the other supplicants have. The petitioners feel defenseless and insignificant compared to the powers that oppress them. They have come to always fear for the worst, afraid when they speak and afraid when they are silent. Both pieces of literature pray for a better future for the writers’ children, away from the marginalization, and the strength to endure the marginalization (Lorde). The second overriding theme in both pieces of literature is survival. Because of marginalization, the very existence of African Americans in James Baldwin’s world is threatened. He writes the letter to give his nephew lessons on how to survive. He tells his nephew not to believe the white man and his words. This is because the white man only expects mediocrity from him. Young James must succeed in life but he will not find it easy. Baldwin tells him that he can only succeed if he knows where he came from. He tells young James and those of his generation to seek strength from the love imparted on them by other African Americans, and which they now must pass on to "[their] children and [their] children's children. (Baldwin)" In A Litany for Survival, ...