James Baldwin – Freedom
“Freedom is something people take, and people are as free as they want to be.”
James Baldwin
Big Idea
Freedom is an often-used yet really complex concept. Many consider freedom something that is granted to them which they don’t have to work for. Others see freedom as something denied, and something that must be fought for. These different conceptions of freedom spring from different life experiences which are in turn shaped by a person’s gender, race and ethnicity.
Claim
According to American novelist and poet James Baldwin, it is up to the individual to acquire freedom through self-advocacy.
Counterclaim
Freedom is something to expect from others
Essential
Question
Can we decide to be free?
