ABC Tried to Bury This James Baldwin Interview. Four Decades Later, It's Blisteringly Relevant.

“It took many years of vomiting up all the filth I’d been taught about myself, and half-believed, before I was able to walk on the earth as though I had a right to be here.” REST IN POWER MR BALDWIN

"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced" - James Baldwin

"If you trying to avoid reality how can you face it". Timeless words that still ring true today.

I love his mother’s statement of “I didn’t know [he would be so successful], but I knew he had to write”. If all parents could be this supportive of their kids growing up we would probably see a lot less strife on this planet.

Baldwin is someone who should be taught in schools. Such an unwavering voice in the face of all those that wanted to silence him. Probably one of the most inspirational writers to ever walk the earth.

"I don't know you personally, but I know you historically", let that one marinate.

Growing up, my father gave me a required reading list every summer. Baldwin was one of the people on the list.

I learned about James Baldwin in high school in New Jersey when I did a book report on his novel Go Tell it on the Mountain for my sophmore year English class. It was one of the books that a great influence in my life. My English teacher was both surprised and impressed at my book selection. An old man now, I live in Florida and I'm filled with sadness that there are high school kids that probably wont get to read this mans work.

“Nobody wants a writer until he’s dead.” James Baldwin was a name I remember hearing in school, but this is the first time I hear him speak. I’m grateful for coming across this video. What a loss it would have been to not have picked up his words.

It's a crime that this man isn't taught in schools. I discovered James by the time I was 30. An absolute crime. The opening monologue in The Fire Next Time, made me tear in a way I've never teared before.

Wow, how incredibly eloquent and humble. I could listen to this man for hours. You can look into this mans eyes and know he's not lying about his experience, expressive, painful, and sad. This type of man is what a leader looks like, something I have yet to see in my generation.

James had a tremendous amount of strength and bravery to confront so many of his issues and society’s issues. Also to go through the process of differentiating which issues were his and which ones were societies. Carl Jung said if you don’t acknowledge and confront your shadow, your shadow will manifest itself in you.

The man was charming and sophisticated as hell, but never had a problem articulating his abhorrence for Racism and he was brutally honest to anyone who asked. Nothing but admiration for his contribution to the black diaspora.

"If you're avoiding reality how can you face it?" This sentiment right here applies to ALL areas of life, all our outlooks, every topic.

Mr. Baldwins eyes are so expressive and filled with sorrow. I've come to realize some people on this planet are so intelligent and altruistic that it exudes from every pore! And I'm not speaking of book knowledge either. Their thinking transcends their real time, place and environment they currently live in. You cannot hold them back or down. They hold you spellbound when they speak. They will be known throughout history. Mr. Baldwin is one of those people!

Honestly I think he's our best intellectual. He is our relative, and he said things that needed to be said, and that are vitally true. Also he came to terms with some things I've heard no one else explicitly describe, like the embattled point of view where self-hatred becomes a more likely than not point of view and it is necessary to consciously come up with a way forward or be immersed in that undefined hatred. If you are a religious person his sexuality becomes a thorn in your side. But he is a known quantity, he is not hiding anything. There is a lot of honor in that. Honestly he is a great man.

"I needed to know where does black end and I begin?" I'm feeling that.

My favourite part of this was finding out he bought a Manhattan apartment building for his whole family to live in together 👌🏾 I hope they still own it

I love the works of James Baldwin. My brother lives in Florida and when he went to work on an assignment setting up an internet network for a school about last year he parked by the service entrance of a school. On the side of the school lot were some large totes filled with books. My brother curious looked in one of the totes and realized these books were books taken out of the school library. A few books were by James Baldwin. It occurred to him that these books were being banned. My brother grabbed as many books as he could mostly by James Baldwin and other authors of note and took them home where he proudly displays them and how he is grateful his kids have grown up and didn't have to witness the disgusting turn of events that have befallen Florida due to their idiotic politics.

Honestly, this brought tears to my eyes, what a truly beautiful soul he was. May he Rest In Peace. ❤