4 thoughts on “James Baldwin in classrooms no more?”

1. I have never read any James Baldwin, but in school I was assigned to read other black authors such as Alice Walker and Toni Morrison. One thing that surprised me about the article was that parents object to Baldwin being taught in schools because of the “sexual material, violence, and profanity in Baldwin’s work.” …Well, as I discovered in high school, Alice Walker and Toni Morrison also have their fair share of sexual material, violence, and profanity, and yet nobody seems to object to their novels being taught in schools! It’s a shame that schools are missing out on Baldwin–if we can stomach Walker and Morrison, then I think we could probably read Baldwin too.

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2. When I saw the headline, my first thought was that I’d never heard of James Baldwin. But as I read further, the title Go Tell It on the Mountain rang a bell and memories of having read this book for a 9th-grade English assignment came flooding back to me, although the details of the book itself still remain obscured somewhere in the back of my memory. I do, however, remember not particularly enjoying the book, and the fact that I forgot all about it is a testament to the impression, or lack thereof, that it left on me. Although the book deals with important social themes that are still prevalent, I don’t think that its literary value is high enough to make it required reading in high schools.

   That being said, the book should not be censored or banned from classrooms because of its controversial content, either. The themes that it deals with are real and banning it would imply that reality should be kept hidden from school children.

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3. I think one of the most crucial arguments in the article is in that last line provided by the principal at Frederick Douglas when he touches on the idea of perspective. Within one curriculum, It’s impossible to fit all acclaimed novels, simply because of time restraint. Although there is a set list of acceptable stories for academia, as stated, there are still numerous others (like Mark Twain) that can’t even fit! I think it’s important to update these lists for refreshing purposes; to keep up with current times, and to shuffle in what might seem more applicable and hold potential for students to become inspired. However, if students create a connection to a novel like those at Fredrick Douglass do with the story because of shared experience, environment, and understanding, than there is no doubt that it will teach them more than some other, although acclaimed novel, that they feel no attachment to!

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4. My immediate first thought when I first saw the article was: “Who’s James Baldwin? I’ve definitely read something of his, but I can’t remember what” This might not seem like a big deal, but I’m the type of person that remembers every book I read for my high school English classes. Then I read the article. All of a sudden I remembered why I don’t remember what I read from James Baldwin. I didn’t read it in a high school class. I read it in a college course during my senior year. I read his “Notes of a Native Son” which was basically a series of short essays that he wrote, retelling his life story. Having read his work, I sort of have mixed feelings about this. On one side, you have the fact that his work is a bit denser for a high school freshman or sophomore to read. On the other hand though, I think that a junior or senior would easily be able to read his work. It’s dense but not to the point where it becomes tedious to read. Furthermore it’s written so brilliantly that a part of me is kind of saddened that things like this aren’t read in high school. Baldwin has very strong views in racism, and segregation that could be beneficial for everyone. I definitely think a refresher of the required readings is necessary. I won’t lobby and say that Baldwin should definitely be in there, but if not him, then other equally as great writers should definitely be in there.

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