We won't be free until they are. Baldwin argues in both articles that white people are shackled by their self-created illusion of supremacy. He, like every other black person, understands that the white race is not superior. White people are aware of it as well, but they are concerned that their secret may be revealed. If everyone knew that they were no better than anyone else, there would be no need for racism. Racism is a product of society. It exists because people can only see things from one perspective - theirs. Racists believe that they are right and others are wrong. They feel justified in discriminating against others because of their own beliefs about superiority or inferiority. Without racism, there would be no reason for any human being to suffer. Baldwin uses two examples to explain this concept. First, he says that even though black people are slaves, they love their owners and want to please them. This shows that they understand that they are inferior to whites and are trying to make them happy so they will keep them around. Second, he says that even though slavery was declared unconstitutional in 1865, many black people still didn't feel free. This demonstrates that even after slavery was over, blacks weren't willing to admit that they were equal to whites yet. They wanted proof that they were actually equal before they would accept it. Baldwin also talks about how black people have been taught to respect authority since they were children.