Title: ‘Black People Look Up and Down, White People Look Away’: Charles Mills, James Baldwin, and White Ignorance”Published by: Radical Philosophy Review
Release Date: November 2022
I examine how James Baldwin explored white ignorance—as conceived by Charles Mills—in 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.
“Black People Look Up and Down, White People Look Away” Charles Mills, James Baldwin, and White Ignorance