In his speech, “A Talk to Teachers,” Baldwin emphasizes the importance of education and its impact on creating change. He believes that citizens who are educated have a responsibility to create change, whether it’s through educating others or standing up to the government. There are several things to unpack here. Baldwin clearly appeals to his audience of teachers by talking about the value of education. Of course, most of those who chose the profession would value learning and knowledge. By invoking the idea that teachers, as citizens, have a greater responsibility to create change, he is suggesting that they have a job beyond the classroom. It is something more important than themselves. This appeals to teachers’ conscious, emotions, or feelings. It gives a greater sense of purpose. Baldwin further implements this image through his portrayal of the citizen versus the government. It is the citizen’s responsibility to hold the government accountable and to believe that they have the power to create “change.” They can do something about the problems happening in the nation. Again, this makes his audience feel that they have a greater purpose and more power than they imagined. This is a great approach because Baldwin is not just spewing anger at his audience, which wouldn’t change anything. However, he doesn’t shy away from describing the harsh reality that African Americans endured because of their value being shaped by White society. It is a balance of holding their eyes open, but also showing what can be done.

Something that stood out to me in Baldwin’s letter, “My Dungeon Shook,” is the connection that seems to be drawn between White Americans and Black Americans in terms of change being able to be achieved. For example, he writes: “But these men are your brothers —your lost, younger brothers. And if the word integration means anything, this is what it means: that we, with love, shall force our brothers to see themselves as they are, to cease fleeing from reality and begin to change it…You know, and I know, that the country is celebrating one hundred years of freedom one hundred years too soon. We cannot be free until they are free.” It seems to suggest that in order for change to happen, an inward reflection needs to happen within for both Black Americans and White Americans. Black Americans have to find their own voice and recognize their purpose and identity and White Americans have to come to terms with the reality of the fabrications that has maintained their sense of identity for so long. I don’t know how I feel about this because it seems to put White Americans at the center of the narrative again and gives them a sense of agency. However, the last lines of “A Talk to Teachers” suggests that this change is going to happen regardless of if White Americans rethink their identity. I have seen in others’ posts that Baldwin seems to be more emotional or intimate in his letter versus the lecture because it is to an individual instead of a group of people. I think it’s important to consider that the letter was published in a book and that Baldwin was aware of his audience being greater than just his nephew.