Summary

This chapter opens with an excerpt from the Cambridge Debate, which took place in 1965. This quote comes from the end of Baldwin's speech, which was greeted by enthusiastic applause from his English, predominantly white audience. Baldwin, passionate but composed, explains the sadness with which America has surrendered to its state of division: “It is a terrible thing for an entire population to surrender to the notion that one-ninth of its population is beneath them. And until that moment, until the moment comes when we the Americans, we the American people, are able to accept the fact that I have to accept, for example, that my ancestors are both white and black, that on that continent we are trying to forge a new identity for which we need each other, and that I am not a ward of America, I am not...