It is dangerous to be an American Negro male. America has never wanted its Negroes to be men, and does not, generally, treat them as men. It treats them as mascots, pets, or things.
James A. BaldwinRead
History is not a procession of illustrious people. It's about what happens to a people. Millions of anonymous people is what history is about.
Interpretation
What this quote means
History focuses more on the experiences and actions of ordinary people rather than just famous individuals.
James A. Baldwin emphasizes that history should not be viewed as the achievements of a few notable figures, but rather as the collective experiences of the masses. This perspective highlights the importance of everyday people in shaping events and societal changes, thus reminding us that history is deeply rooted in the actions and struggles of the countless individuals who live it.
Themes
HistoryPeopleCollectiveExperiencesSociety
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on social movements, I might quote Baldwin to illustrate the importance of grassroots activism.
More from James A. Baldwin
All quotes βThe white man discovered the Cross by way of the Bible, but the black man discovered the Bible by way of the Cross.
James A. BaldwinRead
Those kids aren't dumb. But the people who run these schools want to make sure they don't get smart: they are really teaching the kids to be slaves.
James A. BaldwinRead
Experience, which destroys innocence, also leads one back to it.
James A. BaldwinRead
The reason people think it's important to be white is that they think it's important not to be black.
James A. BaldwinRead
The trick is to love somebody.... If you love one person, you see everybody else differently.
James A. BaldwinRead
Similar quotes
In the Shadow of Slavery covers two and a half centuries of black life in New York City, and skillfully interweaves the categories of race and class as they affected the formation of African American identity. Leslie Harris has made a major contribution to our understanding of the black experience.
Eric FonerRead
History must give the Poles the principal credit for bringing the Soviet bloc to its knees.
Norman DaviesRead
Nigeria has had a complicated colonial history. My work has examined that part of our story extensively.
Chinua AchebeRead
The Civil War is not ended: I question whether any serious civil war ever does end.
T. S. EliotRead
Once I thought to write a history of the immigrants in America. Then I discovered that the immigrants were American history.
Oscar HandlinRead
There must be people who remember World War II and the Holocaust who can help us get out of this rut.
Martin ScorseseRead