James Baldwin: What He Teaches Us About America

James Baldwin was one of the most important voices of the 20th century. From the 1950s to the 1980s, his novels, essays, plays, poetry, book and film reviews, and public appearances chronicled the Civil Rights Movement, African American life in the U.S., and the emerging gay rights movement. This study group will use videos, along with his written works, to explore Baldwin’s world and thoughts. We will watch the award-winning documentary I Am Not Your Negro (2016), and selected videos of Baldwin’s interviews and speeches. We will read one novel, If Beale Street Could Talk (Dial Press, 1974), along with selected essays, including Notes of a Native Son (Beacon Press, 2012), The Fire Next Time (Dial Press, 1963), and other terrific works that are less widely read. The primary focus of study group discussion will be the political and social issues raised by Mr. Baldwin’s work and their continuing relevance in today’s world. This is a 12-week study group.