Disobedience

Disobedience

Martin Luther king Jr. once wrote, “Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever.” He conveys that African Americans have so many pent-up resentments from being oppressed for so long and dormant frustrations that if not released in non-violent ways, they will be expressed through violence. These manifestations of violence that Martin Luther King Jr. writes about are represented throughout history. They are seen in instances such as: James Baldwin throwing the mug of water at the waitress, the Harlem riots in 1943, and the looting after hurricane Katrina.

When questioning the justification of James Baldwin throwing a mug of water at the waitress, one must consider James Baldwin’s up bringing and racial aggravations. James Baldwin confesses that his father’s “bitterness”, along with “the weight of the white people in the world”(88) were now his. Ideology guides people’s thoughts and emotions and a parent’s ideology has a profound influence on his or her offspring. Although James Baldwin did not have a good relationship with his father, his father’s ideology rubbed off on him. Baldwin describes his rage towards whites as he illistrates his feelings towards the waitress. He states, “[he] hated her for her white face, and for her great astounded, frightened eyes. [He] felt that if she found a black man so frightening [he] would make her fright worth-while.” The waitress came over to him, sounding apologetic, and told him they did not serve his kind at the restaurant. This made Baldwin want to strangle her, but instead he threw his mug of water at her shattering the mirror. All of his pent up anger exploded. James Baldwin did not know if he hated her so much because she would not serve him, or because she knew what she was doing was wrong, but would not do anything about it. James Baldwin knew he would not get served at the restaurant, but sat down to start a confrontation anyhow. James Baldwin was looking for an excuse to lash out towards the black oppression. Baldwin’s personal chaos is similar to the disorder in Harlem.

Baldwin writes, “there is not a Negro alive who does not have rage in his blood.” (94) Blacks have been oppressed and treated unjustly since they were kidnapped from their homeland and brought to America to be slaves. Even once free, blacks were always considered inferior to whites. When a people have been abused so outright and for so long, it is only natural and healthy for them to snap. During the Harlem riots, most of the wreckage committed was by blacks against white businesses. According to Baldwin, this riot was about more than just the “white face”, but it was about experiencing the “white power”. The blacks in Harlem wanted to feel the same power over whites, as whites do over blacks. Baldwin however, knew that the riots were not doing any good for the community; he observed how wasteful they were. He notes that it would have been better to leave the goods in the stores. He refines this by stating “It would have been better, but it would also have been intolerable, for Harlem had needed something to smash.”(111) James Baldwin does not condone the rioting, but he believes “to smash something is the ghettos chronic need.”(111) Most of the time members of the ghettos implode and smash each other, and themselves. However, as long as there is a ghetto there will be moments when the violence is not contained to black on black crimes, and society will see the effects as a whole. Baldwin writes “If ever, indeed, the violence which fills Harlem’s churches, pool halls, and bars erupts outward in a more direct fashion, Harlem and its citizens are likely to erupt in an apocalyptic flood.”(112) Just as Baldwin threw the mug of water at the waitress, Harlem exploded in all its pent up rage. I believe that when human frustration or anger is bottled up, its release will be that much greater. The riots were an expression of a latent wrath. Like Baldwin I do not believe they did any good, but I do think they were understandable and maybe inevitable. Hurricane Katrina is another example when people