Volume 25, Issue 2, 2022
Myisha Cherry
Pages 219-235
https://doi.org/10.5840/radphilrev20221110127
¡°Black People Look Up and Down, White People Look Away¡±
Charles Mills, James Baldwin, and White Ignorance
I examine how James Baldwin explored white ignorance¡ªas conceived by Charles Mills¡ªin his work. I argue that Baldwin helps us understand Mills¡¯s account of white ignorance more deeply, showing that while only mentioned briefly by Mills, Baldwin provides fruitful insights into the phenomenon. I also consider the resources Baldwin provides to find a way out of white ignorance. My aim is to link these thinkers in ways that have been largely ignored.