No Name in the Street

Baldwin criticizes Western culture and nations. The West’s humanism is pretentious, and its history has no “moral justification” or authority. He refers to Malcolm X, who described the West’s “lie” as a problem that threatens people’s lives worldwide. The West depends on the exclusion and exploitation of other nations and their lands. Oppressed people can either reject or use the terms of their oppressors to claim autonomy, which puts them in a difficult place. Furthermore, the long history of racism has generated “a system of thought” that troubles both the oppressor and the oppressed (86). For Baldwin, as power remains central in determining political freedom, real inclusion can only happen with the demolition of the “status quo.” Power can only be threatened by power. White Americans are also troubled by their privilege, but they seek to maintain their way of life by force. For Baldwin, this deadlock signifies a country in decline. Power that depends on tyranny is immoral and inevitably fails. The people who have been excluded realize they can generate new energy and a create a new form of power for a new world.

In 1968, Baldwin is approached by Hollywood to write the screenplay for Malcolm X’s autobiography.