CR #7 Majority and Minority

What? What is the difference between Majority and the Minority according to James Baldwin? What is that fear he talks about?

James Baldwin does not believe the Majority is based on numbers, and this statement rings true in many cases. Baldwin believes that “the word ‘majority’ does not refer to numbers, and it does not refer to power. It refers to influence” (Baldwin). For example, the richest individuals in America are only few in number, yet control a vast majority of the nation’s wealth. They have incredible influence over the actions of our government and over the lives of the lower class minorities. This is the power of economic influence. The minority groups are those who end up being influenced by living within the constricts of “the standards to which the country aspired” or rather to which the majority aspired (Baldwin). Because minority groups have been conditioned to associate their identities with status, as Baldwin says, “we cannot discuss the state of our minorities until we first have some sense of what we are, who we are, what our goals are, and what we take life to be” (Baldwin). The fear that the author addresses is the fear of African-American people in everyday settings such as schools, churches, and neighborhoods, as well as finally seeing African-Americans as human individuals. Because of this fear, the majority controls every aspect of their lives, limiting their interactions with the colored populations with all peoples of color, and treat them “as a kind of statistic, as something to be manipulated, something to be fled from, or something to be given to” (Baldwin).

So What? How does Paul Farmer, through his stories, illustrate the issues that Baldwin brings up? Do you have other examples, either from your own life or from working with the community, that can help demonstrate the dynamic Baldwin is talking about?

Farmer tells his stories from individuals from Haiti, particularly those of the minority groups. He tells the story of Chouchou, a Haitian citizen who had lived under the dictatorship and had gotten arrested, killed, and had countless horrors done to his body. Chouchou was part of the population who was greater in number. The government body, in this case, the dictatorship, was only few in number, yet they had the power and the influence as the majority over the rest of Haiti. This supports Baldwin’s idea that the majority “is not an expression of numbers” (Baldwin).

There are examples of Majority figures in everyday life. Parents have always been the majority in a family dynamic. They have the greatest influence over their family unit, regardless of numbers. In schools, teachers are the majority. They have influence over the minds and education of our students.

Now What? How does this “fear” that Baldwin articulates compare to the current politics in our society? How could the fear affect the community you are working with?

The fear Baldwin addresses is the fear associating with the minority groups. They knowingly distance themselves from them, yet wish no ill intent or for them to suffer, because they don’t want them to retaliate. They give them platforms to make it seem as if they are represented. These representatives are the majority, not the population that they represent. Fear pushed the Latino population towards the Canal. The majority provided an isolated region of San Rafael for the minority to live, but this has distanced them from the rest of the city. This could be due to fear. The lack of public transportation into the Canal can be because of fear as well. The community would have to turn to outside resources for aid or pull resources from other like communities that have suffered from the same issues as they are.