Negro History Testifies to Nothing Less than the Perpetual Achievement of the Impossible

“Negro history testifies to nothing less than the perpetual achievement of the impossible.” 

Radical thinker and famed novelist, James Baldwin was a man of many talents and many facets. To celebrate what would have been his ninety-fifth birthday this week, we have pulled together some powerful essays that explore the different sides of this extraordinary man.

Baldwin the Sibling

by Ed Pavlić

“Baldwin’s correspondence with his youngest brother, David, gives an unprecedented picture of his life and work, and deepens our sense of possible human courage, commitment, and cooperation.”

Baldwin the Novelist

Listen to Baldwin read two excerpts from Another Country. Published in 1962, the book traces the complex interracial relationships of a group of artists and writers all affected profoundly by the suicide of their jazz musician friend, Rufus. 

Baldwin the Lonely

by Ed Pavlić

“A week before King was slain, Baldwin told his brother that he just didn’t care about the country like he once did. He saw the looming catastrophe and figured most Americans deserved it.”

Baldwin the Forgotten

by Joseph Vogel

“Few have inspired the Movement for Black Lives as much as James Baldwin. But the critical success of Raoul Peck’s 2016 film I Am Not Your Negro makes it easy to forget that for several decades Baldwin fell from public favor.”

Baldwin’s Legacy

an interview with Cornel West

Speaking with Boston Review editor-in-chief Deb Chasman, West muses on Baldwin’s rejection of the liberal establishment, and why it makes Baldwin more courageous than himself. 
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Supplemental reading:

Be Realistic: Demand the Impossible

by Peter Linebaugh

Fifty years on from the revolutions of 1968, Marxist historian Peter Linebaugh examines the legacy of Baldwin’s contemporaries and their fight for civil rights. 

Black Study, Black Struggle

by Robin D. G. Kelley

“To love all is to fight relentlessly to end exploitation and oppression everywhere, even on behalf of those who think they hate us. This was Baldwin’s point—perhaps his most misunderstood and reviled point.”

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