A writer, a leader and a legend. James Baldwin, born August 2, 1924 , is known best for his work as a Black writer but he was so much more.
Through his short stories and films he attempted to uncover the injustices that African Americans endured during the Civil Rights Era. One of his most notable pieces of work is ‘Notes of a Native Son’, a collection of essays that “explore intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in Western society.”
Baldwin’s approach to the themes relating to sexuality, politics and race challenged the minds of his audience and set him far ahead of his time. In fact, his novel Giovanni’s Room, which was released well before people accepted the homosexual lifestyle, painted a vivid image of an American man’s romantic relationships with other men while he lived in Paris.
Baldwin’s impact on the world didn’t stop with his writing. As mentioned before, he was also an activist. His interest in becoming active in the Civil Rights Movement was peaked when he witnessed a young girl bravely protesting in the midst of a violent mob for hers and others right to integrate schools in Charlotte, North Carolina. He went to North Carolina to report on the happenings that were taking place after being urged by Philip Rahv, editor of the Partisan Review.
That trip and another to Montgomery, Alabama resulted in his essays Nobody Knows My Name and The Hard Kind of Courage.
Baldwin often exposed racism incited by white Americans when it came to his writing and in 2016 the extent of his work was covered in the Netflix documentary I Am Not Your Negro. This film breaks down the long history of racism in the United States through Baldwin’s eyes and his connections with other activists such as Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Medgar Evers.
His work paved the way for other progressive writers who wanted to make a difference in the world with their work and unapologetically made the world aware of the despotism that had become the norm in America.
Baldwin’s work is still making a difference and can be purchased at a variety of bookstores and viewed on different streaming outlets.
With all of the protest taking place in present day America, Baldwin’s writing, words and efforts are still relevant in American society today and we can still take notes from him on who is on which side of history as well as how to interact with each side.
His life’s work made people uncomfortable in a good kind of way.
“People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them.” – James Baldwin
-Sojourner Chief
