James Baldwin is THE Prophet of Diversity

JAMES BALDWIN

James Baldwin, an African American essayist, novelist and playwright, produced a rich psychological African American literature exploring possible escape routes for Black Americans, namely music, Europe and gay sexuality. He was born on August 2, 1924 in Harlem and died on December 1, 1987 in Saint-Paul de Vence, France. His mother divorced his father and remarried the fundamentalist preacher David Baldwin who was very strict with his stepson in a context of great poverty. His stepfather died of tuberculosis late in July 1943 and was buried on James’ nineteenth birthday just before his last sister’s birth. He had three brothers and five sisters, all named in the dedication of Just Above My Head. He expatriated himself in 1948 to France, and lived chiefly in Paris.

He was against the type of apocalyptic religion his stepfather preached. This religious vision comes from the extreme exploitation of Black slaves in America, totally depersonalized at one blow. Blacks (Baldwin systematically uses the word Negro) find their inspiration in the Old Testament, the fate of the Jews in Egypt waiting for Moses to free them. Whites are guilty which cannot be forgiven or forgotten. Judgment Day is close: the bad will be punished, the good will be rewarded. They even seem to identify with Jesus and share his saving mission they think they have to…