Baldwin’s A Talk to Teachers

Baldwin’s “A Talk to Teachers” 1. Baldwin creates a connection with his audience when he states that “we are living through a very dangerous time” (par. 1). He includes himself in this claim, demonstrating that he and the audience are one and the same. Baldwin then establishes his own credibility by explaining that although he is addressing school teachers, he is not one himself. Therefore, by acknowledging that he is not actually involved with the education system, he reveals that he holds no bias and more accurately represents the voice of the people. 3. Baldwin appeals to the audience’s emotion various times within his essay. In paragraph three, he discusses the unfortunate truth of being an African American in a predominately white society. He hopes to evoke a sense of sympathy for these people as he states “that the value of a man is proven by one thing only -- his devotion to white people” (par. 3). Baldwin then describes how this oppression exists in an African American child’s life as he explains that a child becomes “aware that there is a reason why, if he sits down in the front of the bus, his father or mother slaps him and drags him to the back of the bus” (par. 4). Baldwin utilizes this example to create a sense of resentment toward our history of segregation, demonstrating that even children felt this sense of worthlessness that defined the African American community at the time. Baldwin continues to illuminate the struggles of an African American child and all that they are aware of conveying that they see the “terrible weight on [their] parents’ shoulders” (par. 4). Once again, Baldwin creates a sense of sympathy for the African American families, but this time directs it towards the children. He knows that many people believe that children fail to identify issues such as oppression, so he hopes that this point will alter their points of view. Baldwin finally discusses the difficult housing situation for African Americans in the state of New York. He explains that most live in the ghetto, surrounded by drug addicts and prostitutes, and that a child knows this, yet “he [or she] doesn’t know why” (par. 5). Through this, Baldwin kindles a feeling of compassion and concern for these children in order to utilize the emotion of the audience to express the injustice of prejudice. 8. When Baldwin claims that “what passes for identity in America is a series of myths about one’s heroic ancestors” (par. 15), he conveys the fact that everyone in America is in fact an immigrant, so the existence of prejudice stands as irrelevant. The reference to the founding fathers alludes to the fact that America was built upon the idea of liberty and inalienable rights, yet African Americans lack either of those. 10. Baldwin implements repetition as he begins various claims with “I would,” in order to convey exactly what he would do in the position of a teacher teaching an African American child. He hopes that with his own suggestions, teachers will alter the educational system and eliminate oppression from their own classrooms. Barry also utilizes repetition within the statement “those streets, those houses, those dangers, those agonies…” (par. 18), in order to stress the fact that the struggles of the African American community should not be accepted. He works to inspire teachers to kindle a sense of hope within their students, and teach them not to accept the social norm of that era.