Challenging Social Myths

James Baldwin challenges the school teachers he is talking to by explaining the “paradox” of education. In his speech, he starts by describing what education means to him at its rawest state. He uses the example of how when a child is born, the parent is obligated to teach this child and “civilize that child” (1). Baldwin elaborates on this by then going into our we as humans are meant to be social. We exist in this social environment and cannot exist otherwise. Baldwin illustrates how in order for a society to survive, one must question the society in which they live or else it will crumble. He says that the purpose of education is this, “The purpose of education, finally, is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions, to say to himself this is black or this is white, to decide for himself whether there is a God in heaven or not” (1). What Baldwin means by this is that each individual should be taught the tools that allows him or her to go deeper within their own society so that the society can be challenged and questioned without staying complacent. Baldwin illustrates this by challenging the social myth of the black man in America. This is a huge one that Baldwin thinks education should teach and get rid of through learning about one’s oppressive history. If a black child can learn their history and have the tools to understand their past and how they might want to change their future, they are more powerful than any of the old structures trying to quiet him and leave him unknowing and powerless.

José Angel N. uses a very personal experience to illustrate how a social myth can truly control a society. He talks about the iconic “American dream” and how it lured so many of his people to the land of freedom. Angel talks about the barrio’s prodigal sons who would return to his neighborhood bearing the mark of success, and that his people were obsessed with them because they represented the opposite of their impoverished home. He explains this saying, “In a place where stagnation was the norm, it was inevitable that my childhood imagination would pin its hopes and aspirations on the mythological place these men were returning from.” Angel talks about how most poverty stricken countries were seduced by the promise of economic growth — and the United States was a beautiful and large example of that success. He mentions how the words of our founding fathers resonated with many who were unhappy in their home land, and that slowly these myths were created for those dreaming of a better and happier future. Angel realizes though, after going to America, that this promise of economic growth does not apply to all. If one does not fit the status quo, they are often not even seen as humans in other’s eyes. Angel speaks to the unjust social structure that has made immigrants seem less than human in their attempt to make a better life for themselves.

Audre Lorde speaks a little bit more loosely on a specific oppression or unjust structure, as she sort of looks at these things as a whole. She does however, speak immensely about silence and how important it is to speak. Lorde focuses, like the other authors, on her own identity and personal experience. She says many times that she is a black lesbian, and I feel that the repetition is so incredibly important and is a great example of what she was trying to say. As Lorde describes, America is a dragon and that we were never meant to survive it. When she’s talking about we, she does not mean the dominant groups. Those groups built and raised the dragon. Lorde is talking about those who belong to subordinate groups. These groups are the ones that have been silenced by America through discrimination and oppressive structures held up for centuries. Lorde uses her personal identity, a black lesbian woman, to showcase in her life how she has been silent because of this oppression. She felt that this was the only way to survive. She realized though that either way she will be scared, and so she challenges this norm by speaking. By not remaining silent.

These authors pretty much use their stories and their experiences to validate and speak upon their truths and the oppressive structures they have experienced in America. James Baldwin is a successful black man who grew up in poverty, discrimination, and hatred towards his skin color. He experienced first hand how America treats black people and all of his incredible self discoveries he made because of it. Baldwin recalls stories where white people were suspicious of him even though they had absolutely no reason to be. He recalled the anger and confusion he and all other black people have felt, and he explained how a young black man reverts to dangerous and sad ways to cope with their identity. For Baldwin, telling these truths is essential because in his case, his identity has created his sense of meaning. He realized what he felt through discrimination and oppression, recognized a problem, and started to tell people who influenced these young children growing up. Baldwin had to tell these truths because America, or the bigger society, was not saying them themselves. His story was unheard and invisible and therefore non-existent until he told someone.

Same goes for José Angel N. Born into poverty, Angel recalls stories of his youth admiring the older men who went to America with the promise of economic growth. He talked about how his hope slowly turned into confusion and despair and became skeptical as he himself found his way to America. He addresses some very important details and truths about being an immigrant: that when you’re undocumented you’re automatically not even worthy of human respect nor are you seen as one. Like Baldwin, he was invisible. But only in the way those of the dominant groups wanted them to be. Angel had to speak his truth because people needed to hear why immigrants were coming from Mexico or Latin American countries. He says, “I am forced to defend my humanity” when talking to an old white man who threatens him that he will return Angel to his country. Angel and this man represent a bigger picture: what happens when you stay silent. What happens when the truth and experiences aren’t spoken. The problem stays the same; it festers and continues to grow. People of the dominant are always surprised to hear of these issues and ask why we haven’t spoken of them before, and the simple answer is that we couldn’t before. But we are now.

I personally really resonated with Audre Lorde’s text because I am also a lesbian woman of color. Though I have not been through the same exact things as she has, I find truth and solidarity in her words. What I understood as the whole meaning through her text was the importance of speaking our truths and our experiences. The title of her text, “The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action” really says it all. Those who belong to more subordinate groups have been made silent by the dominant group. Their stories are not being told because everyone knows that how they have been treated is wrong. Speaking our truth is the most powerful and scary thing that we can do in a society where not everyone is equal. Lorde says, “And that visibility which makes us most vulnerable is that which also is the source of our greatest strength” (42). Oppression and unjust structures take away that strength, that power. The best way to take it back is to speak the truth of our experiences and to never stop even when people don’t listen. This is incredibly relevant to my own sense of self because though every day is a new day and I am reborn each morning, the truest and deepest parts of me stay forever. Those parts include my experience being a mixed brown lesbian dancer (and as Lorde puts it) warrior poet. Nothing will change if I don’t speak my truth and experiences. After all, I will be afraid no matter what. The only thing that will remain is my unspoken words.

The three authors all speak to something very important: using our truths to bridge the gap between dominant and subordinate groups and structures. To make everyone equal. Knowledge is power and in this case the knowledge comes from knowing the other’s experience in life. It is common to know the dominant’s experience. It is not to hear the subordinates. Lorde (and others as well) stresses that the only way change will happen is if we tell our stories. Society has tried to silence the wrong but we have the choice now to tell our stories and educate others, which is what Baldwin was trying to get at. Education is holistic, not just writing and math and science. It is for the whole human and their experiences. Otherwise we will remain stagnant and as my girlfriend once said, “stagnant water is poisonous to drink.”

Of the three principles Lorde named, I think that the one I want to focus on is Umija, the third principle. The notion of togetherness is something that really resonates with me. We as humans cannot thrive without each other. Change in this society is nothing if we do not help someone else as well (who really needs it). However, we cannot just focus on the other. What I really like about Umija is that it includes the decision to “build and maintain” ourselves as well while we are helping others and the community grow and heal. I want to focus on this with my community partner because while I am there to help others, I have to maintain myself and help myself grow alongside these wonderful humans who are trying very hard to learn my language. All the while, we can talk and discuss issues within the community to recognize them and try to solve them so that we can all grow together — even if at different paces.

I feel that my responsibility as an educated person is to educate others with whatever knowledge I have. I feel very strongly that I am not doing good work if I am not trying to help others in the process because then everything is meaningless. Though I am still a teenager, I have had the privilege (though it shouldn’t be a privilege) of an education into higher education. I am learning lots about strictly academic subjects as well as important issues happening today and learning the tools on how to fix them. If I can help just one person with my knowledge and my education, I feel as though I am doing my part. My work with my community partner is definitely utilizing how I want to use my education to help others. I am working as an ESL aide and in this particular situation I am using my knowledge of the English language to help teach immigrants how to read and speak it. But that is just the surface level education I am trying to use. I also want to use my knowledge and skills of listening and dealing with trauma to help these people and listen to their stories. I can imagine that José Angel N’s experiences as very similar to those of the people in my class. Lured in by promises of economic growth and in return, an incredible struggle to make it to America and being welcomed with not even basic human decency. Angel’s analysis of negative growth definitely gives me a great insight into my community and the struggles they are currently dealing with, so I know what the bigger picture is but I still have yet to learn all of their truths. Angel talks of a slowing and gnawing anger that grows in him. I worry that this could happen to any of the people I help teach. I hope to use my education to ground them and make them feel welcome in a bigger society that does not want them here.