Hi! Let me start off by apologizing for the incredibly late post that went up yesterday evening; I had a family emergency early yesterday morning before I could finish up the post so that's (obviously) what my attention went to. I'm trying to prep some posts now (writing this Sunday evening) while I'm at the hospital because I'm not sure how long I'll be tied up with it, so if I'm unavailable this week it won't throw off the schedule any further. Just in case though, if there is any lag, either here or on my Instagram, I'm sorry.
Anyway, let's get to today's Spotlight! Mondays this month are reserved for pioneers and groundbreakers in the art and fashion worlds. I try to do two artists in different ranges (sculpting, painting, drawing, etc.) and two people in the fashion industry per series. We're kicking off this year the way I usually do, with an artist, and this particular artist is one I've wanted to feature for years. I've always had a full Art and Fashion Spotlight lineup, so I had to keep rolling the post over to the following year. I wanted to start this year's off with him because I've been so excited to learn more about him and his work. I can't recall having had this much trouble whittling down the quotes for today's quote, because so much of what he said was influential, true and/or something I felt people should hear. Please check out today's further reading links; you'll be in for a treat. Today's is one of the longer entries, but believe it or not, I left a lot out. Let's get into it!
*Mandy's Note: This is going up super late Monday night. Trying to pull it together tonight and get the series back on track. Life happens sometimes. And if you've been here during one of my previous series, you know my life has an uncanny way of getting too real and pulling me away when I try to start anything that requires my consistent attention. lol Bear with me, please.*
Name: James Arthur Baldwin, 1924-1987
Profession: Novelist, playwright, activist, essayist (but I think he'd have preferred 'writer' or 'artist'. He famously shunned labels, including 'Black' writer, etc.)
Why is the Spotlight on him today? For his contributions to the written world, his skill and talent with relaying the Black experience during the civil rights struggle, being a pioneer for relaying the LGBTQ experience through his work and the lasting impact that its had on society
Notables:
--Faced notable racism and segregation throughout his younger years, which he later integrated into his work
--Was able to write a play when he was 10 that was picked up and directed by a teacher at his school who had faith in Baldwin's writing and made the first noted attempt to cultivate his skills
--As a teenager, was the pastor of a revivalist church
--Worked on both his middle school's newspaper and his high school's magazine as an editor, the former allowing him to work alongside Black future entertainers Brock Peters and Bud Powell
--Was a recipient of a Rosenwald Foundation scholarship, which he used to move to France, which was a unanimously integral decision as it impacted his work, his perception of life, and brought about his self-discovery
--As a teen, was able to have a few of his short stories and essays published in noted periodicals
--Was made a Commandeur de la Legion d'Honneur a year before his death
--Was one of the first known Black LGBTQ authors, making the important and controversial (for the time) decision to integrate sexual themes and sexuality into his writings, sometimes choosing these themes over the racial themes he is ultimately known for
--Was one of the many figures illegally surveilled by the FBI during the '60s and '70s
--Was a recipient of a Eugene A. Saxon Memorial Award through the help of his then-friend Richard Wright
--Joined the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and began touring colleges in order to educate students on civil rights and racial inequality
--Made the cover of Time as his activism and campaigning for civil rights on behalf of CORE was getting more recognition
--Enjoyed a 40-year long professional relationship with The Nation, from having his work published at various points in his career and culminating in his serving on the editorial board of the magazine, a position he held at the time he died
--Despite being an important voice in the civil rights movement, found himself under attack during the Black Arts Movement for his refusal to align himself, privately or publicly, with the movement
--Faced homophobia and separation even within the civil rights movement; notable figures like MLK distanced themselves from the gay men in the movement, including Baldwin despite his status, and was even uninvited from making a speech at the infamous March on Washington
--Was influential in bringing Nina Simone around to the message of the civil rights movement
--Was one of the signatures on the Writers and Editors War Tax Protest, which was developed by literary figures as a protest against the Vietnam War
--Was highly influential on the careers of a number of artists, being the muse of several books of fiction, reality and plays
--Was posthumously included as one of the 50 on the list of LGBTQ pioneers on the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor in the Stonewall National Monument
--Held two meetings with JFK to discuss racial injustice, one with a few of his associates and friends, which was notable mainly for helping push the issue of civil rights a mainstream one rather than a cultural one
--Had a manuscript turned into a documentary and a novel turned into a film, both of which later won Oscars
--Had several plays turned into Broadway shows
--Had a successful debate with William F. Buckley at The Cambridge Union about the American Dream being achievable on the backs of African-Americans
--Was posthumously honored with a US postage stamp bearing his likeness
--Was the posthumous subject of Hampshire College's James Baldwin Scholars program, honoring his previous teaching position there while providing students of color with opportunities for college prep and support
Further reading links:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4* | 5
*-excerpt; the entire article is behind a paywall
Selected Reading List:
Go Tell It on the Mountain, 1953
Notes of a Native Son, 1955
Giovanni's Room, 1956
Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone, 1968
No Name in the Street, 1972
If Beale Street Could Talk, 1974
Quotes of the Day:
"To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time."
"I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain."
--James Baldwin
"[Baldwin's writings] became a standard of literary realism. ... Given the messy nature of racial hatred, of the half-truths, blasphemies and lies that make up American life, Baldwin’s accuracy in reproducing that world stands as a remarkable achievement. ... Black people reading Baldwin knew he wrote the truth. White people reading Baldwin sensed his truth about the lives of black people and the sins of a racist nation."
--Juan Williams, The Washington Post
Today's charity:
What does the organization provide? Promotion, education and resources to Black women (initially, but has since expanded to all women as the primary focus while still providing information to men and members of the LGBTQ+ community) about the AIDS/HIV epidemic, which disproportionately affects the Black community, health and reproductive education, and advocating for both reproductive policy reform and justice. Even if you can't donate, please at least take a look. The organization's main team is entirely made of WOC, and with reproductive rights under attack and general STD/STI education seemingly dropping, organizations like this are important to highlight.
See you tomorrow!
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