In his work "A Talk to Teachers", James Baldwin expressed his views on how he believed American children should be educated. Throughout the essay, Baldwin focused on a specific race of schoolchildren: Negroes. Perhaps because he himself was African American, or even because of the simple idea that blacks were the most vulnerable because they were never worth anything, according to what American society thought during the 20th century, particularly in the 1960s, when this piece was published . Once the focus is determined, the reader can begin to analyze Baldwin's main appeal throughout the essay. At first glance one could argue that the essay has no credibility with Baldwin's lack of not being a school teacher himself; however, upon further evaluation it could be argued that whether or not he was a school teacher has nothing to do with whether he establishes his credibility, appeals to morals, emotions with authority and values, which therefore overcome the possible negativities associated with his argument. Baldwin established his credibility throughout the essay. A key point of his rhetoric is that he does not shy away from the fact that he is not a school teacher, but rather implores those who are teachers to forgive him (p. 17). He then backs himself up later in the essay when he states “[i]t is your responsibility to change society if you think of yourself as an educated person” (p. 19). Within this sentence Baldwin seems to be talking not only about the children but also about himself and how important it was for him to be an educated man. He, and many others for that matter, considered him an educated man and worth the risk of standing up for something that needed to be addressed... middle of paper... it's directed at teachers and the way they are to teach in a different way, it also aims at the growth of the next generation. It is amazing the thought and compassion behind Baldwin's works and how much he put into discussing such a sensitive topic. He literally instills fear in his audience to the point that they cannot stop themselves from taking action to change the way he teaches. Whether or not anyone argues with Baldwin's argument, it is still inevitable that the tension within the essay is created in a creative and wonderful way. Thanks to Baldwin's educated status and persuasive personality, his work is beautifully put together to create an undeniable force of authority for change in the education system. Works Cited Baldwin, James. “A speech to teachers”. 1963. Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2008. 17-20.