James Baldwin, Emma Goldman and Freedom

Paper Summary:

The paper introduces James Baldwin and Emma Goldman - two of the 20th century's key rhetoricians who managed to de-intellectualize many of the problems facing disempowered social groups. It shows how Baldwin, who writes from France in 1963, addresses a Black audience and offers solutions in overcoming the white social hierarchy in a time before the existence of a black middle class. In comparison, the paper shows how Emma Goldman, the foremost written advocate of anarchy in the 20th century , addresses a mostly urban audience and echoes the concerns for factory workers we hear from prominent socialists such as Upton Sinclair. The paper first discusses Baldwin's view of freedom and describes Goldman's, contrasting the two.

From the Paper:

"Baldwin uses his experiences as a preacher to segue into an evaluation of religion as it affects blacks in America. Although Baldwin was what we would consider a firebrand preacher, his assessment of Christianity is based on its utility as a methodology for liberating Harlem blacks from their poor collective self-image that he equates with a lack of freedom. Baldwin compellingly states "If the concept of God has any validity or use, it can only be to make us larger, freer, and more loving. If God cannot do this, then it is time that we got rid of Him." In his positivist approach to religion, he not only demonstrates that he would see it best used as a moral agent in creating freedom, but he also illustrates that his intended audience is that of the leaders of the black community. Baldwin's image of freedom is thus portrayed as a categorical set of values that allow a group to demand fair treatment."

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