James Baldwin

James Baldwin Birth

Aug 2, 1924

James Arthur Baldwin was born on August 2, 1924 in New York City's Harlem. He was born with a tough upbringing but shows it skills later in life with his work

Preacher in the teen years

1940

James Baldwin was seen as a preacher for his local church sharing his visions from his teen years and later on in his novels and play writes.

Early and only education

1942

James Baldwin graduated DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx in 1942 and later on just figuring out things himself with not attending college. After being tight on money he realized it might be better not to pursue a higher education.

Death of a close one

Jul 29, 1943

After graduating from high school James lost his step-father in the coming year to tuberculosis. His step father was very irrational being condemned into a mental asylum the same year.

Half siblings

1944

James Baldwin would be technically an only child but that would be true from his mothers side. On his dads side from his previous marriage had eight other half siblings. James although was the oldest out of all the other siblings later trying to find early work after high school to support his family.

Places lived (PT .1)

1948

James grew up in Harlem, New York with a struggling life style but had to make it work in the tough times because of his love for his family. After supporting his family for years in New York he found an opportunity to move to France.

Children or Marrige?

1950

James Baldwin never pursed a marriage or had any kids of his own. He later on in life loved his many nieces and nephews. Even after having relationships he only pursued work over other trivial matters in his life at the time

Heavily Influenced

1952

James Baldwin was always interested in writing but never had a clear reason on why he wanted to. Later on being influenced and inspired by many other civil rights activists who were fighting for what was right. Some of these names consist of Medgar Evers, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Maya Angelou, Nina Simone, and Lorraine Hansberry.

First and Best Work

1953

Soon after leaving high school and trying to figure it all out he wrote his first ever novel titled "Go Tell It on the Mountain". This piece was an autobiography about his early and hard life as a black man in Harlem, New York. Although this was his best work at the time later on being controversial and banned shortly after his death because of racism, violence, explicit sex, etc.

Early work as a playwright/activist

Nov 20, 1955

James after high school focused on his work to make a living and one of his greatest hits in 1955 was titled "Notes of a Native Son". This piece was a reflection based on his point of view on how he was raised by his father among all the racial tension going on at the time. The overall moral of the story was giving more rights to black voters for elections.

Places lived (PT .2)

1957

After leaving the U.S to pursue his higher career in Paris France he seemed to find his footing in his early work, later on returning back to the US in 1957.

Meeting another legend

1957

James Baldwin in the midst of all that is going on ended up meeting with Martin Luther Kind Jr. . Around this time he was also started to work with Elia Kazan as a playwright-in-training.

Second hit in career!

1961

After the first writing success of "Notes of a Native Son" James later goes on to write another good second piece sort of adding on the first one titled "Nobody Knows My Name". Released in 1961 the story of Nobody Knows My Name is another reflection of society and how there is still a cultural and just straight up overall divide in the races and sexes and how it is unjust and not fair to anyone but they have to live with the pain.

Last biggest piece

1962

James Baldwin was making a name for himself and the out going problems happening in the days society. After the release of his other two popular works he finally releases one more piece on the matter titled "The Fire Next Time". This focuses on the same talking points as the first two but also goes more into religion differences between communities. This shined a light onto all of his works because this was at the heat of the civil rights movement.

Places lived (PT .3)

1969

After returning back to the US James seemed to dial more into his work because of the racial struggles happening in the US in that time. He returned back to New York for a bit to see his family and help with the civil rights movement and be a big piece to letting the people have a voice. After his last work he was seen moving from place to place being sometime in south France and sometime in New England.

Side work as a film critic

Dec 26, 1973

Much like his writings about how the social injustice in the US because of race is wrong, he emphasized on that with movie critiquing. On one report for the big film "The Exorcist" Baldwin wrote, "The Americans should certainly know more about evil than that; if they pretend otherwise, they are lying, and any Black man, and not only Blacks—many, many others, including white children—can call them on this lie, he who has been treated as the devil recognizes the devil when they meet.”

Best Friend Loss

1984

One of his reasons to leave America other than the problems it had was because of the loss of his best friend to suicide. On a report with "The Paris Review" James was asked "Why France?", to his response was "Why France? It wasn’t so much a matter of choosing France It was a matter of getting out of America. I didn’t know what was going to happen to me in France, but I knew what was going to happen to me in New York. If I had stayed there, I would have gone under, like my friend.”

College Professor Education

1985

While James never attended college on his own he later on in his life was a college professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Hampshire College. He taught a class on the thing he talked about the most, the civil rights movement. He taught from 1985-1986

Award!

1986

After teaching as a professor and returning back to France he was awarded France’s highest honor, La Légion D’Honneur, by President François Mitterand.

Passing of a Legend

Dec 1, 1987

James Arthur Baldwin passed away in St. Paul de Vence, France, on December 1, 1987. His cause of death was Stomach Cancer. He passed away at the young age of 63

References (2)

Sep 27, 2023

https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-fire-next-time-by-james-baldwin#:~:text=The%20Fire%20Next%20Time%20by%20James%20Baldwin%20was%20first%20published,published%20by%20Penguin%20in%201964. https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/introduction-james-baldwin https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Baldwin https://www.umass.edu/diversity/blackpresence/james-baldwins-years-umass#:~:text=Baldwin%20quickly%20connected%20with%20the,be%20held%20in%20Mahar%20Auditorium.

References (1)

Sep 27, 2023

https://www.twinkl.com/teaching-wiki/james-baldwin#:~:text=James%20had%20eight%20half%2Dsiblings,to%20help%20support%20his%20family. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-fire-next-time-by-james-baldwin#:~:text=The%20Fire%20Next%20Time%20by%20James%20Baldwin%20was%20first%20published,published%20by%20Penguin%20in%201964.