reflections
Condemned to be an optimist: celebrating James Baldwin by Elia J. Ayoub
Illustration by @tinuke.illustrationWith you-know-who dominating the news cycle, I wanted to read something about a non-terrible American. Yes, they exist. The shado archives always have the antidote.
I didn’t have to go too far back to find this joyous celebration of James Baldwin’s life by fellow shado editor Elia J. Ayoub.
Baldwin is the voice of depth and humanity we need today more than ever.
nothing personal
James Baldwin was an acclaimed African-American writer and civil rights activist, gaining prominence in the 1950s/60s and beyond. His poems, prose and essays have touched my life, and countless others. Giovanni’s Room is my favourite novel of his, an eloquent and beautiful gut-punch set in Paris, where Baldwin lived on-and-off throughout large parts of his adult life – he moved to France to escape the constant racism of the US.
He had a way of writing which was so full of life, thought and hope; it had light, and due to the discrimination and hardships he endured and the turmoil he lived through, it had darkness.
But the optimism of Baldwin’s message was his enduring legacy. As Elia shows in this piece, Baldwin knew better than most the inequality and moral failure at the heart of American society, stemming from the privileged few. But it was not a point of defeat or cynicism for him.
It’s something all of us – the doomscrollers – could learn from.
go tell it on the mountain
Instead of losing heart, Baldwin put his energy into his writing and activism, into understanding humans and expressing his pain through art and creation. It was an overriding sense of hope that allowed his pen to flow. As he said, “the logic of despair isn’t for me.”
In the spirit of Baldwin, I think it’s important to remember that courage does not drive bigots and wannabe fascists to commit heinous acts. It’s cowardice. These people are too afraid to realise they are targeting and punishing versions of themselves. They could be at the sharp end, anyone can become a victim. It’s a fallacy for men to think they are above another due to any perceived traits of worthiness or superiority.
“What you’ve got to remember is what you’re looking at is also you. Everyone you’re looking at is also you. You could be that person. You could be that monster, you could be that cop. And you have to decide, in yourself, not to be.”
Understanding this reminds me of the words of another iconic African-American writer, Maya Angelou, on courage:
another country
In this sense, if we understand that the selfish, individualistic whims of a few people uphold the social hierarchy, it is the courage and love of another group of people who must oppose this, and truly hold the world together. That’s what we need to strive to make humanity be, not falling back on the easy cowardice of hatred.
It’s not simple – it requires acting collectively and being vulnerable, but stronger as a unit. It’s as urgent now, in the current American crisis, as when Baldwin was alive.
“The moment we cease to hold each other, the moment we break faith with one another, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out.”
~ Tommy
smirk of the week 😏
offbeat optics
Middle-Aged Man Trading Cards Go Viral in Rural Japan Town
gotta catch ‘em olddddd [image from Tokyo Weekender]
Harnessing the energy that children have for collectable card games, this is a cute and creative way of strengthening bonds within the community. And it’s working – kids have started volunteering for local community events in the hope of meeting some of the personalities featured on the cards, and have even asked elders to autograph cards bearing their likeness.
“Since the card game went viral, so many kids are starting to look up to these men as heroic figures.”
And it works both ways: the ojisan, or uncles, can get their own card upgraded to a shiny, the more they actively engage in community work! Everyone’s a winner – except Pokémon’s intellectual property lol #sorrynotsorry.
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