On James Baldwin’s Letter to His Other Nephews on the Hundreds of Anniversaries of Emancipations

June 24, 2018

Dear Immigrant Child,

"....what I see whenever I look into your father's face" or into any face that resembles the poor brown skin child trying to cross a border -be the one that separates countries or families or groups-, "for behind your father's face are all of those other faces which were his", for behind each of those poor brown skin faces, you can find crossing border stories that are mine or yours, "and how narrowly he [or you or I or we] has survive it", survive them.

Don’t despair, don’t blame your mother or father or uncle for bringing you here or there. Blame those “for which neither I nor time nor history will ever forgive them, that they have destroyed and are destroying hundreds of thousands of lives and do not know it and do not want to know it.” 

Do not believe the idea that you are inferior, an animal to be caged behind cyclone fences or housed like cattle in a corral, and remember that, “details and symbols of your life have been deliberately constrcuted to make believe” what those who want to control, hold power over others, “say about you”, and, be firm and accept without judgement that “what they do and cause you to endure , does not testify to your inferiority but to their inhumanity and fear.” 

Find peace, and in these dark times where children continue to be used and led to self destruction, let’s bless James Baldwin and his nephew and all of those others who will -if anything else- write and speak to reveal your humanity, to make sure you know, “you must survive because we love you, and for the sake of your children and your children’s children”.

One of your many uncles,

Gerardo

*James Baldwin (1962) “My Dungeon Shook: Letter to My Nephew on the Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation.” The Fire Next Time)