James Baldwin

I went to see the James Baldwin documentary I Am Not Your Negro this weekend and really enjoyed it. The film didn't tell me much I didn't already know, but it did put some hard truths racial truths out there. Baldwin has been dead for nearly 30 years now, but the words he spoke in the documentary clips from the 1960s and 1970s still apply today. What I found fascinating were the clips from old movies that showed such idyllic views of (white) American life. Clips from movies like The Pajama Game with groups of happy white teens dancing during a picnic look strange and stupid now, but back in the day, these kind of movies (supposedly) depicted the all-American experience. Everyone was white, everyone was straight, everyone was happy, no one had money problems, there was no abuse, and things were great all over. (Well, at least that's what you were led to believe.) When I hear or read about someone praising Donny T's MAGA slogan, I often wonder if scenes like the one from The Pajama Game depict the kind of America these folks are referring to that was "great." I suspect many of them are.

But back to Baldwin. When he returned to the United States after a long stint living abroad in France, he did so to help his fellow brothers and sisters struggling for equality. He felt he needed to be a part of the civil rights movement rather than just an observer of it from afar. If you're a fan of Baldwin's or if you want to learn more about him, I strongly suggest checking out I Am Not Your Negro. Also consider reading (or rereading) some of his written work. I read Another Country and reread Giovanni's Room probably five or six years ago and enjoyed them both.