While I was at the Tim Wise lecture last Thursday, he mentioned a lot of enlightened people of color who pretty much taught him most, if not all, of what he knows about racial issues in America. Wise mentioned quite a few people, but according to him, the best to put pen to paper was none other than James Baldwin.
Now, I will admit that though I had heard Baldwin’s name a few times through social media (notice I didn’t say in class) prior to Wise’s reference, I didn’t know much about him.
I didn’t know that Baldwin was a fierce writer. I didn’t know that he was a profound and powerful speaker. I didn’t know that his legacy involved posing critical questions concerning the equitable integration of black people and gay and bisexual men. I didn’t know that he was the highly-esteemed intellectual who influenced and worked closely with the likes of Maya Angelou, Nina Simone, Toni Morrison, Langston Hughes, Huey P. Newton, Malcolm X and many more.
It’s quite possible that Baldwin coined the original “clap back” that was directly rooted in his exceptional rebuttal and debating skills with famous quotes such as “I love America more than any other country in the world, and exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”
Two famous Baldwin quotes that I particularly empathized with the most while conducting my research this past week are, “The paradox of education is precisely this-that as one begins to become conscious, one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated” and “To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.”
By referring to my pieces titled “Sparking The Age of Knowledge” and “Nina Taught Me,” one could easily figure out why these quotes from Baldwin stood out to me, but I find complete solace in the fact that I am not nearly the first to go through the issues and ideas expressed in the above titles.
After reading more about the life of James Baldwin, I quickly figured out that he was not only writing for his generation, but for many generations to come.
Obviously, Baldwin was very conscious about many issues concerning racism, sexism and classism in America with works such as “Giovanni’s Room,” which some consider to be homoerotic and “The Fire Next Time,” which is composed of two essays, one written to Baldwin’s nephew.
The essay dedicated to Baldwin’s nephew is actually what inspired Ta Nehisi Coates’ “Between the World and Me,” which is a book of nonfiction written to Coate’s son about the struggle and realities of being black in the United States.
Recently, a documentary called “I Am Not Your Negro” was released based on Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript titled, “Remember This House.” The film, which is directed by Raoul Peck and narrated by actor Samuel Jackson, dissects the history of racism in the United States through Baldwin’s reminiscent view of civil rights leaders such as Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
If you’re interested in the life and unique perspective of James Baldwin based on the little bit of information shared in this piece, “I Am Not You Negro” will be playing in the Tivoli Cinemas at Manor Square at Kansas City, MO on Friday, Feb. 24.
And if you would like to actually read one of Baldwin’s works of literature, the school library has “Giovanni’s Room,” “Notes of a Native Son” and “Go tell it on a Mountain” available right now.
