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
The civilized have created the wretched, quite coldly and deliberately, and do not intend to change the status quo; are responsible for their slaughter and enslavement; rain down bombs on defenseless children whenever and wherever they decide that their "vital interests" are menaced, and think nothing of torturing a man to death: these people are not to be taken seriously when they speak of the "sanctity" of human life, or the "conscience" of the civilized world.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the hypocrisy of those in power who claim to value human life while committing atrocities.
James A. Baldwin's quote highlights the contradiction in the actions of those who are deemed 'civilized' yet engage in violent oppression, suggesting that they cannot be considered credible when they profess to respect human dignity and morality. It points out the cold, calculated nature of their actions which lead to suffering and destruction, particularly towards the defenseless, challenging the common narratives of civilization and conscience.
Themes
HypocrisyViolenceHuman RightsOppressionCivilization
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on social justice, one might reference this quote to highlight systemic violence.
More from James A. Baldwin
All quotes →The white man discovered the Cross by way of the Bible, but the black man discovered the Bible by way of the Cross.
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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.
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Experience, which destroys innocence, also leads one back to it.
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The reason people think it's important to be white is that they think it's important not to be black.
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The trick is to love somebody.... If you love one person, you see everybody else differently.
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