The Author That Dined With Dr. King and Malcolm X
The 1950s and 1960s for Black Americans was a time of struggle, toil, and progress. Brown vs. The Board of Education officially integrated public schools in the United States, overturning Plessy vs. Ferguson. Rosa Parks and many other members of SNCC and the NAACP ended segregation on public transit. And leaders like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr were becoming household names. During this time, Black creatives captured the times through poems, music, art, and books. But in my opinion, no one quite captured the 1950s and 1960s like James Baldwin.
James Baldwin was born in Harlem, New York in 1924 during the Harlem Renaissance. A cultural hotbed, Baldwin in childhood took an immediate liking to literature. His stepfather and mother encouraged him in his studies and Baldwin initially began a career in ministry. However, his identity as a gay man coupled with his rising doubts about his faith led him to turn to a career as a writer. Out of a desire to get away from American racism and homophobia, Baldwin left for France in 1948. He returned periodically to his family and friends in Harlem and eventually became acquainted with the foremost activists, authors, singers, and playwrights in Black America.
Baldwin wrote everything from plays, to essays to novels about Black America. In many of his works Baldwin openly flaunted LGBT characters at a time when identifying as such in America could mean immediate being ostracized from society. For Baldwin, his work was a means of change and freedom from the constraints society attempted to put on him. In the aftermath of the assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Baldwin continued to publish essays and revere both men in media appearances.
There are a number of Black intellectuals and creatives that have unfortunately been forgotten but Baldwin should never be one of them. Serving as an influence for many intersectional writers today, Baldwin’s work was not only ahead of its time but in many instances, Baldwin produced classics that should be revisited and shared. Revered for his work during his time, Baldwin deserves to be posthumously celebrated so that his work may live on.
Recommendations
Peck, R. (2016). I Am Not Your Negro. Magnolia Pictures.
(Documentary available on Amazon and Youtube Movies)
Baldwin, J. (1956). Giovanni's room: a novel. New York, Dial Press.
Baldwin, J. (2013). The fire next time. Vintage.
Baldwin, J. (2012). Notes of a native son. Beacon Press.