Baldwin on Algerians in France
-
Baldwin describes the melancholia of Algerians in France as being grounded in their displacement from a place they know as home. As an African American, Baldwin can relate to their experience of marginalization in a racist society, but he cannot relate to their specific melancholia as people who "knew exactly where home was" (2). He has no clear idea of a home to return to since it was robbed of him by the slave trade.
Baldwin observes how the French view their colonial expansion as a "civilizing" mission. They justify the exploitation and subjugation of Algeria by highlighting what they "brought" to the colonies (schools, hospitals, etc). The French are indignant when the Algerians resist or assert independence. They hang on to their unfounded ideas of their benevolence to Algeria.
Just as the French refuse to confront the realities of their colonial violence, White Americans avoid the implications of slavery and racism. Both of these groups also refuse to let go of the idea that the people they have oppressed are inferior to them. To create change, oppressors must accept the reality that they are not superior to the oppressed.