James Baldwin's "My Dungeon Shook"

James Baldwin, a gay black civil rights advocate, delineates much of the unsettling sentiments of the social and political climate in America during the mid-twentieth century revolving around uncertainty and hostility towards African Americans in his essay titled “My Dungeon Shook” from his book The Fire Next Time. The Fire Next Time is comprised of two essays addressing “The Negro Problem.” The first essay, “My Dungeon Shook” is written in the form of a letter to Baldwin's fourteen-year-old nephew with the purpose of discussing the central role of race in the context of American history. The status of African Americans was largely precarious during this time period due to the institutional practices by the government hindering upward mobility or even basic human rights for this population in order to protect the sanctity of white supremacy. In this essay, Baldwin relays the message that the shortcomings that African Americans face are directly due to the color of their skin. Baldwin records his observations that many black people are complicit to discrimination by accepting the rhetoric perpetuated by white supremacy; however, Baldwin urges his nephew to stay compassionate to his oppressors.

Baldwin's essay really struck me, because it is reminiscent of Martin Luther King, Jr. communicating what it feels like to explain the practice of racism to his own children. To bring these works onto a personal level feels outrageous as to what direction that discussion even entails. Baldwin centers on compassion and the spread of love in his essay, because people of color, specifically black folks, know live through the trials and tribulations of inequality. With this in mind, Baldwin makes his argument that by spreading love, it is a form of rising above the system. On the other hand, I bring in instances of violence in the name of desperation. Nat Turner's patience ran out far too early for him to even consider compassion. Although Baldwin's ideas around love are noble, it strikes me that very little progress has been made regarding the rights of African Americans since Baldwin created his work.