I had the opportunity to watch “ I Am Not Your Negro” at the Cornell Cinema, and I thought it was an extremely moving film. It was about how African Americans in America had to struggle for their civil rights in the past. Baldwin talks about his anger towards the white community because of what they did to suppress his people. The film brings up Martin Luther King’s and Malcolm X’s fight for equality. However, they were murdered for speaking up about what they believed in. Baldwin also narrated the experience of Dorothy Counts, a 15 year who was harassed by her peers for going to a predominantly white school. He also described how the media demonizes African Americans using the example of Sidney Poitier. However, even though Baldwin had to endure all of the injustices due to his skin color, he still hopes that people would reflect on their actions for a more fruitful future ahead.

As the film is ending, it showed snapshots of how the black community is still being targeted and discriminated today. An example would be the police brutality that is happening all over the country. Even statistics show that African Americans are more likely to be stopped and frisked, or pulled over by a police officer. Although slavery has long been outlawed and deemed an inhumane practice, the discrimination towards blacks did not disappear with it. It is evident that there is still some hostility towards African Americans today even if people are not as open about it.

Previous to watching this documentary, I really did not know much about James Baldwin. I only knew that he was a novelist and a playwriter, but that was the extent of my knowledge of him. It was interesting to hear another persepective of the Civil Rights Movement and racial tensions in America. The scary thing for me is that many of the things that Baldwin said in the documentary can still be applied to conditions today. In the documentary, they showed images of the present day with Baldwin doing a voiceover. It’s amazing, or actually chilling, to see how many things of the past are still relevant today. One thing that resonated with me was when Baldwin said that the problem white people have with black people is a fear that exists in their heads. I totally agree with this because I think sometimes people are living in the shadow of the horrors of slavery and the guilt that comes with it. They feel as if they keep black people oppressed, there will be not retaliation or revenge taken on white people. Granted, there are some blacks who have this idea of “black superiority,” however, a majority just want the chance to be the best version of themselves without the color of their skin determining everything. Personally, I think people who are racist, have a mental illness because we are all human beings yet sometimes we treat each other like we are from a different species. It makes no sense. It is so exhausting that we still have to have these conversations today. I really don’t know if anything will ever change, however, I always have to push myself to keep fighting and standing up against oppression of ALL kind, no matter how tiring it gets sometimes.

February 8th, 2017.It was the first day I learn about him, James Baldwin. First I was skeptical to go at this event, but I ended up going because I had to. Personally, I do not regret my choice. I actually felt in love with him, and I wanted to read more of his works. This documentary was very powerful I like the fact that the mixed the past and the present and wrapped everything with his voice throughout the movie. It was a powerful documentary, but I was mostly impressed with what he said at least some of them. I do not agree with everything, but I was glad that he shared some of my beliefs.  For this reason, I felt the need to share more of my thought here, but first I would like to warn any sensitive person not to read the rest of this post. If you do not feel like you will read with an open mind, I would advise you already not to read the next line because I do not guarantee you that it will not challenge your beliefs. It took me a while to write this draft because I do not want to seem judgy at all. This is my opinion feel free to add a comment. If somehow it upsets you, I am sorry but I recall that I advised you not to read if you were sensitive.

I am a black woman born and raised in an African country; however, I was not aware of my skin color until I landed to America. That is when I learned that it was a thing to “be black”. I knew the story of the slave in America. I knew what the black community in America was enduring every days, but I guess at some point I thought it was getting better. I have never gotten electrocuted by a cop because I am black. Neither then I got beaten for my skin color. I already faced racism however, but my point is that my point of view of this situation might be different than someone who were born and raised here. Nevertheless it does not change the facts that I am black, that I am now living in the US, and that it destroys me to see this situation it still exists. In my opinion, the fault is shared between the opponents. They are all stuck in the past, and as long as they refuse to let it goes this situation will perpetuate from generations to generations. It is exhausting,

The film “I am Not Your Negro” was a painful and powerful film for me to witness. I really enjoy learning about the Civil Rights era and studying race relations in the US. I am a first-generation US citizen, with most of my family being from, and still living in, Kenya. Growing up, I lived in calm, safe, white suburbia. My family pretty much made up the entire integration for our town in Maryland. I really liked my neighborhood, but I did not realize how the shelter it proved actually blinded me. When I went to high school, I went to a pre-dominantly Black school in a pre-dominantly Black neighborhood (located near Southeast DC)  for the first time, and experienced a culture shock I never imagined I would ever experience. At first, the culture of my own people frightened and confused me, and I was taunted for being “not black enough” quite often. I really appreciate the intimacy of the pain and visions shared in “I am Not Your Negro” because it reminds me and encourages me to love the people that look like me more deeply and to love myself and my intersectional identities–to be proud of where my history has brought me and to not be ashamed to move forward.