Racism and Fear in 'If Beale Street Could Talk'

In the novel If Beale Street Could Talk written by a world-renowned author named James Baldwin, the story begins with Clementine (Tish) bringing the news of her pregnancy to her husband Alonzo (Fonny). Tish becomes worried about his reaction to the pregnancy, and that of both of the families, but is happy when he reacts with joy, and her family reacts with love and happiness as well. Fonny’s father (Frank) is similarly grateful, but Fonny’s religious mother (Alice) and two sisters are judgmental about the situation and spark a confrontation between the two families. However, a common theme throughout the novel is the connection between racism and fear, suggesting that prejudice people use intimidation tactics to suppress African American people.

Fonny’s friend Daniel is no stranger to the constant fear that comes along with living within a racist judicial system. As he is telling Fonny and Tish about why he went to prison, Daniel says he was too afraid to stand up for his own innocence, explaining how his trial was “rigged” against him. “They said — they still say — I stole a car,” he says. “Man, I can’t even drive a car, and I tried to make my lawyer — but he was really their lawyer, dig, he worked for the city — prove that, but he didn’t”. They essentially didn’t even give Daniel a fair trial and automatically accused him and essentially gave him no other option than to plead guilty. The Justice system used Daniels’s so-called “ Lawyer” as a way to isolate him from anyone who can help him and essentially convinced him to take the blame because since he is guilty of having “some green” on him he is guilty of stealing a car. Furthermore, Daniel says, If I didn’t plead guilty, they’d throw me the book. Well, I was alone, baby, wasn’t nobody, and so I entered the guilty plea (Baldwin, 102).” Daniel repeatedly emphasized the fact that he “was alone” throughout this entire process. Not only do the prosecutors use the scare tactics on him but they also essentially trick him into saying he’s guilty, but they make sure that he feels alone and isolated from anyone that can be a witness and help him. They essentially made him feel guilty by not giving him any help and that lead to Daniel pleading guilty to a crime he didn’t commit, thereby proving that fear is often what prevents African Americans from speaking up and breaking the shackles that are placed on him because of racism and fear.

Throughout the novel, he portrays fear as something that keeps young African Americans like Fonny and his friend Daniel from standing up for their own oppression. It is very clear that this kind of racism is institutionalized in the structures of power also known as the authorities in their case surrounding Fonny and his loved ones he also talks about how all these work together to keep them oppressed. Daniel sees where Fonny is coming from when they are talking because Daniel has already spent time in jail for a crime that he didn’t commit. He talks about how now that he is out of prison, things are even worse and how he’s even more scared than he was before, too scared to strive for true “freedom”. While daniel and fonny talk about how life is for Daniel after prison we can see that Daniel is scared for his life. We can see and just imagine the fear that he is under even outside of prison. The fear of him going back in. Fonny begins to ask Daniel “ How long you been out”, to which Daniel replies” About three months…Man, it was bad. Very bad. And it is bad now. Maybe I’d feel different if I had done something. But I didn’t do anything…The worst thing is that they can make you so fucking scared. Scared man, scared (Baldwin, 103)”. The audience can see that white America oppresses people like Daniel and Fonny by putting them in positions where they have no power. That coupled with scaring them out of standing up for themselves is a big reason why they remain oppressed and in fear. Baldwin also shows readers how racist people with authority or power turn young black men against each other. 

Another instance where this happens is when mama and Tish are seeing Mr. Hayward at his office and going over Fonny’s circumstances and talking about why daniel is arrested “conveniently” after him and Fonny talked and sent to jail where Mr. Hayward or anyone cannot have access to him. What a coincidence that their only solid alibi is placed in jail and the woman that accused Fonny of rape happened to disappear. Mr. Hayward explains, I know something about officer Bell, who is a racist and a liar…I also know something about the D.A in charge of his case, who is worse. Daniel Carty has just been arrested by the D.A.’s office and is being held in Communicado. I have not been allowed to see him…What they are doing is really against the law- but Daniel has a record, as you know’. In other words the D.A . has arrested Daniel because he is their only key alibi, and the D.A and officer Bell both know he has a record so no one will suspect anything illegal happening. Also what a coincidence that they don’t let Mr. Hayward see Daniel and that Mrs. Rogers goes missing. They are clearly trying their best to pin Fonny and his family against a rock and a hard place and cornering them and making them fear the prosecutors. We also know that officer Bell is a liar and a racist and therefore can conclude that he and the D.A. are doing all of this in a malicious way because they are black. It is not a coincidence that these white people of authority are doing all of this to try and incriminate Fonny and give him no choice but to plead guilty like they did with Daniel. Essentially he is using Daniels’s fears against him and trying to convince him to change his testimony. Baldwin explains how America’s unjust systems of power put black people at a disadvantage and are crippling them. It is essentially using fear to isolate African Americans like Fonny and Daniel, which makes it even harder for them to have a voice and stand up for themselves.

Similarly to that of Daniel’s circumstances Fonny faces similar racism towards him and Tish. In the article the eye as a weapon written by Trusier Harris he begins to analyze what the meaning of things that were said in If Beale Street Could Talk and he recalls when Fonny is helping Tish and defending her when the Italian Junkie accosted Tish. He sets up the scenario in a way that makes you realize and gives you an idea of how racist officer Bell really is. He says “When Tish sees Bell approaching, she puts her bdy between Fonny and Bell in the role of the protector. “I was sure that cop was gonna kill Fonny; but he could not kill fonny if I could keep my body between fonny and this cop(Harris, 58)”. She sees that this officer is not coming at this white italian junkie but at Fonny because he is a black male. Furthermore he says “ Her awareness of what white officers do to black men forces Tish to take control and she knows that with her in between the officer cannot do anything. She has had enough experiences or has seen enough to know of the racism that officers and people in power have and is smart enough to know what to do to help save fonny because she knew that officer was going to kill him. We can see an example of this racism in the film and we can visually see the seriousness of this topic and feel how they feel. The film “If Beale Street Could Talk” by Barry Jenkins a very well known producer plays a very important role in helping to visualize major plot points within the novel written by James Baldwin. For example, during the altercation with the officer Bell, you can see the discrimination through officer Bell’s eyes as he looks up and down at Fonny, as if he was accusing him of assaulting someone. Instead of assessing the situation and arresting the white man that harassed Tish. These intense glances and music playing in the background helps the audience feel the tension in this situation where in the book you can’t feel the seriousness of the matter.

All in all, the importance of Baldwin’s ideas are that back in the 1990’s and even today there were perfect examples of how Racism and fear is instilled in the white judicial system and how they use this racism to instill fear into the Oppressed African Americans of Harlem at the time. There are even examples today of people that try to stereotype African Americans, and very Officers that Do this such as the Officers that wrongfully assaulted Innocent Black people. Treyvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Eric Harris, Walter Scott. These are examples of this issue still going on today and the injustice that African Americans face in their community. The very people that should be Protecting them are the very people killing them.

James Balwin helps bring this issue to life in many of the characters throughout this novel but does an exceptional job of showing what the stereotypical African American community Has to deal with and the racism and fear that they go through just to live as a black person.  

Works Cited

1. Baldwin, J. (1974). If Beale Street could talk. Dial Press.
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4. Morrison, T. (1987). Beloved. Alfred A. Knopf.
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