Introduction Racism is not just a chapter in someone’s history book. Racism is still present in people’s lives, and continuing to disregard this fact now leads to racism becoming an integral part of everyone’s future. This idea is supported by a statement that Baldwin, an American writer, and activist, once made: “History is not our past. History is present. We carry our history with us. To think otherwise it’s criminal” ( I Am Not Your Negro ). Many people ignore the current issue of injustice based on race by saying that racism ended at a certain point in time. While the problem of racial prejudice stands, several authors believe that communication may change the situation. James Baldwin, in his Notes of a Native Son , writes about his experiences with people from different parts of America and the world and investigates the ideas of hatred and violence. His story shows that history shapes people into who they are and affects the present and the future. Therefore, making the history known and battling the process of alteration can help people to realize the true meaning of every event. Another author, Ta-Nehisi Coates, explores the concept of American democracy as a part of history that is often misinterpreted by people. Coates recalls a quote from a reporter, who asks him “why I felt that white America’s progress, or rather of those Americans who believe that they are white, was built on looting and violence,” causing him to think about the scope of injustice that was and is being overlooked for generations. The author presents several facts that support this idea and wonders if the notion of the American Dream can be reconstructed. He talks about internalized racism and a necessity to remember the past and resist the urge to create a more comfortable interpretation of history. Both authors present their ideas on communication as they try to speak with older generations and analyze how their efforts can change the current situation of racism in America. In their works, Baldwin and Coates claim that communication between generations and people of America can change the way individuals perceive the problem of racism by spreading information that is not altered or misinterpreted in any way. Baldwin and Racism The problem of historical interpretation is reflected in African-American literature of the 20th century where racism becomes one of the central issues for many authors. Writers delve into the peculiarities of the environment and roots of the problem. For instance, Tyson explores several racism forms, outlining institutionalized, internalized, and intraracial racism (Tyson 155). James Baldwin perfectly demonstrates the nature of all forms of racism in his work. In his Notes of a Native Son , he touches upon the issue of race in America and cogitates about conditions under which black people lived and continue to live. Baldwin talks about his father and his perception of racial prejudice in America, outlining some differences in his attitude and the attitude of a younger generation. Recalling the Detroit race riot, Baldwin demonstrates the atmosphere peculiar to the USA of that period. Radical alterations in peoples mentalities preconditioned the growth of minorities dissatisfaction with their position and with the role they played in society. Here, institutionalized racism shows its potency as Baldwin describes his encounters with white people an