@Valerie O'Brien Dear Valerie: What you're describing is exactly what Baldwin predicted here. He predicted social chaos if Blacks are left out of the American mainstream, and that's just what you're describing, the slow descent of American Society into chaos and these constant protests across America in the last 6 months show how extreme its gotten. I empathize with your Do-Gooder suggestion that the protesters would do better to work with the Black people, but that's just wasted labor when the oppression comes from the very top. America was founded by Rich White Men for their own benefit and no one else's. 300+ years later and guess what ? The Rich White Men still rule America. The truth is that neither the Rich White Men nor most White Americans of lesser status see Black people as being fully human beings, and fully worthy of the respect and dignity that every human being deserves. Until that happens, the chaos will increase until a Second American Revolution gives America back to ALL Americans. ... jkulik919@gmail.com
@Valerie O'Brien you have grasped a large part of the truth in your comment. However, when change becomes essential, the party that must change must make signs of change. Renaming monuments and buildings are essential signs of change. We will not miss these names, these statues, twenty years from now.
My comment is certainly not meant to express any contempt for black people. Quite the opposite. Can one of you explain why you interpreted it that way? I intended to express, with sadness, how it should even be that someone would feel the need to defend their humanity. No one should need at all to do that ever.
@@fiandrhi you're being trolled. i suspect the previous commenters understood you perfectly, and purposely misinterpreted you in an attempt to chastise you for your empathy and support. sadly (and weirdly), there are highly active networks of these types online who attack kind comments such as yours to keep everyone arguing and angry at each other. your original sentiment is greatly appreciated, John.
I'll be damned. I did not know it was required reading in some high schools, especially given some of the books that have been banned from the reading list. Mr. Baldwin was a thinker and a doer. He was brilliant in every way. And his own time was to be ahead of others' time. Thank God that he walked into territory where there were no sign posts.
Dan Waldis I grew up with some black history in public school system. I guess it helps that the father of black history is from my hometown... (well he lived there and was educated there and made a fingerprint there plaques and his statue...so same thing.)
My high school Black history class never covered James Baldwin and I really wish we had. I love reading and listening to his work but have never analyzed it in an academic setting.
@@jonathanfrancis109 What is propaganda? The TRUTH? Mr. Francis, the truth cannot be propaganda. It is fact. Propaganda is your statement intended to muddy the picture and draw attention away from the truth. Sir, look to your state, your country and your God and avoid all 'I believe' statements. Rather, ASK: What is true? There is advancement to be had when one is armed with the truth. Sadly, the alternative is degradation.
JR HUNT there a lot of guys all over the world now. Some are still on their shelves. However I don’t see a problem in being gay. One should not be judge for is sexuality.
“What is it you wanted me to reconcile myself to? I was born here, almost 60 years ago. I’m not going to live another 60 years. You always told me ‘It takes time.’ It’s taken my father’s time, my mother’s time, my uncle’s time, my brothers’ and my sisters’ time. How much time do you want for your "progress"?” - James Baldwin
However Baldwin's point was that Robert Kennedy being "prophetic" was actually a terrible illustration of power imbalance. Kennedy's words came true in accordance with the wishes of other white men in power like himself who "allowed" that timeline to be realized. If anything, Baldwin is the truly prophetic one, and it is not a happy thing that he is. He did not disagree with Kennedy, he grimly took him at his word, but it forced him to ask: Why? Why not 40 years ago? Why not 400 years ago? Why is it always the oppressor's prerogative when black people are given power and opportunity? That is what Baldwin is saying. Sorry if you already got all that and it's what you were remarking on.
what history erases for their own benefit to get the black votes is the Democrats created the KKK and murdered blacks and Republican Senators on the countryside... look it up if you can find it.. but you speak this today.. these assholes claim the PaRtIeS ReVeRsEd.... they never reversed... its in plain sight and a con art they get blacks to vote for them..- portray the other was the enemy so you vote for the enemy itself- AKA BRAINWASHING- YOU are succumbed to it also.. so wake up to their BS trolling- they are literally laughing at you behind you behind closed doors falling for this shit
I worked at a film archive and we had so much footage of him. God, he was just amazing. Such intense eye contact and speech patterns are so soothing. He earnestly tried to understand and responded without condescension to those that hated him. He was an intellectual giant.
@@sunsetcocktails4211 there is also the PBS American Masters episode on him, a 90-minute orgy of this kind of discussion. Title is 'James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket.' and you can buy it from PBS or rent it via Vimeo on-demand. Well worth the $4 and the time.
Late nineteen eighties there was a wee bit of J.Baldwin snuck in between programs on television* in new zealand. I've been fascinated ever since. *tvnz would insert bits of random video when there were no ads to run, back in the day...
And even if he wasn't a soothing voice his words still would be true. Even when we tried to speak eloquently about racism we were ignored. So that era is over. What you have now is black people sick of being nice while they ignore our humanity.
Amazing talk. As a white man and father of two white children, I will be sure to have my two teenagers watch this short speech since I am quite sure they will never be introduced to even the name of James Baldwin in their public schools.
@@waltonsimons12 what I mean to ask is what do you mean by racial in particular. Blacks? Anything but whites? I'm trying to understand exactly what that means.
Just gave the presidential debate between JFK and Nixon from 1960 a try, and was flabbergasted by the difference in style, eloquence, argumentation etc. Both spoke very well, with respect for each other's points of view (at least in front of the camera), didn't interrupt each other (other formula) etc. None of the mudthrowing Punch & Judy show of 2020. Clearly, not every change is progress...
@Chad KIn order to pull Mr. Baldwin down, one must be beneath him. I would never use racism an "excuse for black failures", but I'm wise enough to know that racism did and still exist, and that the affects have been psychologically traumatizing for many people of color. I studied Black history in America, and words are often inadequate to describe the inhumane treatment inflicted upon Blacks by the dominant culture. Perhaps you would rather enjoy the benefits of denial.
Because he has dedicated his life to knowledge. His mind for information is exceptionally high, he's just winging it..he has a handful of points but his ability to wing it like this is his vocabulary and knowledge.
There was no need for a teleprompter because the audience was not hostile or adversarial, they were mature, and patient enough let the man think and get his thoughts together and his words out. If only more audiences were like that today, we might learn a few things from one another.
Yes. An intelligent man with honestly is golden. Too often wise and clever men and women are dangerously selfish and amoral. The honest and dignified tend to be foolish and often mislead. One with both has outstanding magnanimous character.
"The people who are denied participation in (the American Dream) by their very presence, will wreck it." Prophetic words, Mr. Baldwin. Very prophetic words.
@Brad1156 Fascists like you always hide behind words like 'culture', when we all know what you mean. Why are Nazis always so afraid to just admit what they are instead of hiding behind dogwhistle terms like 'bad culture'?
@Brad1156 When I grew up, I believed that we were doomed to be in poverty. The thing that gave me a different perspective was the movie Rosewood and then studying the history of Rosewood. It made me ask many questions about how the survivors managed after losing everything? What was their mental state like after surviving such a horrific tragedy? What did they teach their children? It was then that some of the echoed sentiments I heard all my life made sense. Statements like "the white man won't let you have anything." I realized these were people that was born into defeat and didn't even want to try because well Rosewood could happen again. It is so easy to sit in our own world of comfort and criticize and proclaim what they should do all while being completely ignorant to the actual lived experiences and policies created to exacerbate negative experiences. We don't realize the herculean efforts it requires to fight against a system that systematically attempts to keep you poor, incarcerated, uneducated and unhealthy. You have to ask, could you continue to thrive if you kept witnessing the murder of your family? The loss of all possessions and economy? Being forced to live in food and job desserts? Imagine what it would take for you to find a way to regain what your family once had a second, third or more.
Remember perspective. In his time: segregation is real; Black heroes in the arts, sciences, business, sports etc etc etc were non-existent if not unique. 60+ years ago. Before civil rights, the war on drugs, affirmative action.
@@dsamh yep, I didnt forget, just meaning he is less preachy than the loud ones and shows his education, experience and observation through the manner in how he speaks so eloquently. He may not be the loudest voice in the room, but he is definitely the strongest.
His observation was something already known to the enemy. He only showed them he can adequately speak on it. The enemy always know what it does to it's prey.
Baldwin is an intellectual giant, a genius, a highly moral being, and one of the best examples of creation. No one can ever diminish him or the African people unless we let them. As African people, we must take inspiration in knowing that we are a great people because in spite of all the challenges we have faced all over the world for the past 400 years, look at the quality of individuals we have produced. The greatest moral leaders, athletes, entertainers, business, science, you name it and we have conquered it. Oh yes, we are a great people who just keep rising.
You actually have no right to be proud of something beyond your control. Don’t be ashamed. But you’ve no right to be proud or have a sense of self entitlement about it. I’m black but I share zero connection with Africans other than a human one. I’m an American, not an African American. Never even been to Africa. I have more in common with a white man from Iowa than I do with a black one in The Gambia. My identity is something I control, not something I’m cast the part of. And I revel in it. THATS EMPOWERING.
"SUBSCRIBE" TO MY UA-cam CHANNEL AND LET BUILD ON KNOWLEDGE AND UPDATED INFORMATION TO PROTECT OUR GREAT BLACK FUTURE. .ua-cam.com/channels/1pvtRYXEGjPcEBb6HOPe_A.htmlvideos?view_as=subscriber
AS A BLACK MAN IN AMERICA IN 2018 I LOVE JAMES MORE THEN EVER. WHAT'S SAD IS MY BLACK BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE DEALING WITH THE SAME THING AND ARE HAVING THE SAME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT AMERICA AND RACE RELATIONS.
true. most of my despair results from the reality that most of it is monologue...we're not listening, we're not internalizing, we're not proactively working toward different. we, in essence, are active in facilitating our oppression by helping to maintain the systems that oppress us. it's time for the change that Sam Cooke told us was coming.
BlueBallz both parties are at fault, if you watched the speech you can clearly tell he’s not only calling out those who oppress but also those who try to free the oppressed from themselves (kennedy); also, the expansion of the welfare state and affirmative action has not done a single thing to help minorities, in fact it has only made the situation worse, and you and me both know your shining diamonds JFK and LBJ did this, so rethink your argument and views to remove your bias.
"There is scarcely any hope for the American dream because the people who are denied participation in it by their very presence will wreck it. And if that happens it is a very grave moment for the West." Prophetic. Beautifully crafted. Eloquent. Powerful.
Brilliance. His words are as important and needed as ever. I wish I had learned about him in high school. His speeches and writings should be mandatory because they express so perfectly America's problem with interpersonal and structural racism.
Lauren R you are wrong. The trials and tribulations of Black Folk in his day are different than today. People need to realize that slavery is over, Jim Crow, which was actually legislated discrimination, has been eradicated. The playing field is much more level for Black Folk. Continuing to live in the past is a mistake for Black Folk. There is not a black child who, hopefully raised by Two Loving parents, cannot become a brain surgeon if he or she keeps their nose clean, works hard, and has the wherewithal to achieve it. There is no legislated racism, there is no white privilege, there is no institutional racism. There are individuals within society and individuals within institutions that most certainly are racist but there is no Grand array of racists acting as a bulwark against black achievement. Those days are over. Yes thank God we had people like James Baldwin and Martin Luther King, but to continue to believe that the the same historical problems currently exist for blacks is using history as a crutch.
Relatively things are better than they were, but racism is far from over. It is like a chameleon that changed its colors but not its nature. Slavery didn't just magically disappear. Many people fought and died to make that happen. It also took about 226 years to do it. They thought that it would eventually fade away. It didn't and when it was challenged, those whose livelihood was dependent upon it naturally fought to keep it. True, Jim Crow was fought and defeated too. Both slavery and Jim Crow were upheld by de-jure (law) racism and segregation. They have both been abolished legally, but that doesn't meant that the attitudes and prejudices that upheld them are not there anymore. Institutionalized racism is not tangible and written into law. It is written on peoples hearts. It is de facto racism. It is racism as it is manifested through attitudes and behaviors. It is manifested through racial stereotypes. It is the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about or if you do, everyone gets touchy and angry.
D M sorry, I don't buy it. Individuals may be racist or not. Racism has nothing to do with any specific color. Whites can be racist, blacks can be racist. What I do know is that there is no one keeping a minority in poverty. I don't care what color you are, if you keep your nose clean work hard passed the tests then anyone can be a brain surgeon. I know because I work with these people. The black orthopedic surgeon is the first person to tell you that racial politics is b*******. In fact, the so-called empathetic left are the people responsible for black poverty. The indirect effects of welfare programs keeps the black family fragmented. You cannot have a man in the house and get Aid to dependent children, food stamps, Section 8, free healthcare Etc... This tends to replace the husband and father with the government . An exceptionally bad idea. Blaming a group's problems on a non-existent white Boogeyman is ridiculous.
Whether or not you _buy it_ or not, is entirely your choice. I can only present the information and my side of the matter.I don't get into all that liberal/alt-right political stuff. We can use as many labels as we want, but what it boils down to is your actions. Calling my self a good guy doesn't make me one. You would look at my actions and see whether they match my words right? You, as an individual person, may not care about race or color but verily I say unto you that there are plenty that do A WHOLE LOT and they are becoming more and more colorful and expressive of that point of view. I aware that there are blacks and other non-whites that absolutely disdain whites and wish them no good. I also know people of many different races of color that hate each other to no end with no other reason to _having had the audacity to be born a certain group not like their own._ Unfortunately, society treats us all differently. People tend to care for those who are most like them. That's human nature. Its very tribal. We, as a species still haven't grown out of it. Things aren't as bad as they once were, but they can still be much better.. When we start getting lazy, complacent and start saying everything is all better is when things start to relapse. No one can undo the horrors of the past and the terrible atrocities that have been done. That doesn't mean we have to sit idly by and let it repeat itself which is exactly what will happen if we sweep it under the rug. I have no idea of what it is to live as a White American man or even as a white person of whatever nationality or gender. I don't even have a clue as to live as a Black African man. I don't have the frames of reference. .The same thing goes for a Native man, an Asian man or some other kind of non-black American man. Its audacious. *You referred to institutionalized racism as a non existent white boogeyman.* I would use a different way of describing it, but it is indeed an evil monster most on the receiving end would gladly ascribe to myth and legend. We most assuredly wish it were not the case. Read this and reply back. www.thoughtco.com/examples-of-institutional-racism-in-the-u-s-2834624
D M you seem to be sincere. But let me ask you a question. Can you name one instance of institutional racism? I mean an actual event not something that you're imagining. Because if you could I would immediately help you attack it. But you can't. All you can do is talk about a ghost in the machine, something you imagine is there, something that you blame for the failure of a group, something you should be blaming the failings of the individual for. Let me say it again. There is no white Boogeyman keeping anyone down. If you work hard, keep your nose clean, passed the tests, there is not a medical school in the United States that would deny you entry. I work with too many black surgeons, black oncologists, black CEOs to believe any of your divisive racial politics. I understand that there are isolated instances of racism, but it is not institutionalized. And you are wrong. Slavery and Jim Crow are ancient history. To bring them up as something relevant in today's society is not only disingenuous but dangerous. You are pulling us apart, not bringing us together. Everyone needs to get over these race politics, these identity politics. They are simply a method for the postmodern neo-marxist to try to regain a foothold when their beloved communism resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Millions of people in Maos China and Stalin's Russia. America is a Beacon of Hope for the world. That's why so many people are desperate to come here.
Valerie O'Brien - Baldwin died end of ‘87. If you get the chance to read his works, watch his interviews or view any movies about him or his writing, do it. His articulate eloquence is like the precision of a surgeon’s blade. I wish he was still with us.
What an incredible speaker. It's a crime that we never learn much (if anything) about Baldwin and other black civil rights activists who aren't MLK or Malcolm X.
And very oversimplified and caricatured versions of both men at that. MLK was more radical than a many, probably most, whites would like and Malcolm X was not an unhinged fanatic that popular history has often portrayed him as. Malcolm X had a lot of anger, for certain. But he had much to be angry about.
@@ScorpionViper1001 Here here to that. I've seen so many white moderates and conservatives try to weaponize MLK's supposed fixation on non-violence when the man himself knew that rioting was a legitimate form of protest. Just goes to show what their true agenda is:stopping any real change.
This highly and well intelligent black man speaks so eloquently well, he was way before his time. His voice and his words truly need to be heard today. REST IN PARADISE my brother 🙏 ❤
This is what happens when someone accepts the fact he makes mistakes, has to learn and there is in many situations the possibility they are just wrong. Its called being reasonable. Today everyone thinks they know everything and are incredibly self-entitled living in their bubble. UA-cam 'experts' are a great example of this. Many have barely left school, have no real working/life experience and they start a channel where they act like experts and get paid tons of money because of their influence... This is the main source children are learning from now... Also a big problem how everyone seems to think it is normal that schools now push political agenda's, including universities... This such a terrible situation. Just looks at black lives matter and then compare them with guys like this and Martin Luther King...
Born out of Poverty, Black, and gay, in a time and place it was not accepted, this man rose to his potential with what he has between his ears and the power of his words. That's simply remarkable.
So much so that members in Martin's camp didn't want the civil rights leader even associating with him due to his homosexuality. I feel that may be one of the principle reason we do not hear about Mr. Baldwin in school. I only learned of him as an adult through my own reading rather than any sort of school cirriculum. I'm not going to say that if everyone heard Mr. Baldwin that things would be different. They probably wouldn't. I think he requires a maturity - and above all - empathy in order to understand. Two things that I fear the people that you would most want to educate are fundamentally lacking until they come stumbling into the light themselves rather than forcibly dragged.
Back in his time, Baldwin bore the twin burden of living as a black man and a gay person. He would have been rejected by the white society of then for his race and by his own for his sexual orientation. It shows what a strong man he was to bear such a heavy lift day in day out while still summoning strength and resolve to become a formidable man of letter and thought, which he expressed with grace and eloquence few could at any time. I wonder if African American men and women of today know much of James Baldwin?
erica flexx sorry but he was but that didn't take away his love for his people. He hated this place with it's racist views and actions until he moved to France at age 22 I think. He never wanted to live here again but he said he missed his people. Duel citizenship if I'm not mistaken. I think he's also buried there. Listen to his speeches and read his books. He openly admired it and it was no secret to us back then. Listen to his video on being "poor, Black and gay".
His words always give me hope. Long live his name. These interviews and speeches are always a breath of fresh air. He wasn’t afraid to say those things,that were constantly pushed under the rug. Good bless him and all those watching this now.
@@bwkelley Baldwin was critical of some aspects this is true but it wasn't just as simple as that. He did give credit for it inspiring many black activists in the Civil Rights movement...
This is the type of curriculum that would produce more critical thinkers if it were integrated into schools. It is also a prerequisite for spiritual growth. In early Christianity it was stated I believe To Know The Non-Judgmental Reasoning of Christ is to Know the Truth and the Truth Will Set You Free.
I’ve offered/assigned Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time for close to twenty years at a Christian school. Have seen how his words push students to thought and growth. More should be reading him, and others like him, but most schools want to avoid controversy and discomfort.
One of the reasons that I believe Baldwin was not embraced by more people (particularly in the "black" community) is because of his sexual orientation. In my experience, the general community which was some form of professed "conservative Christianity" would not easily embrace someone who admitted to a homosexual orientation. Also, I believe that it was because his discourse, although deep and heartfelt, was more intellectual and philosophically based than most "salt of the earth" folk could intuitively feel and therefore trust. Neither did he simply try to appeal to anyone's base nature, as to "stir them up" into activity they didn't fully care whether they truly comprehended it or not. All human beings are complex creatures, James Baldwin was no exception.
I've never understood why the defeated and enslaved peoples of European colonization took up the conservative form of religion of their masters. Africans, First Nations, Hawai`ians, etc. All have adopted and vehemently defend it. The Baptist Church[tm] has not been a friend, it only has led to grifters and charlatans taking their money -- tax free -- in exchange of empty promises generation after generation.
@richard Harris that still happens today. It's no secret that the black community largely doesn't embrace ppl who are LGBTQ. While I don't fall in that category I can say confidently my parents would forget they knew me if I was. The irony is this is in large part due to a religion that was forced upon them. But things are changing for the better, hopefully in time we can move past that
Was that necessary? Now there is a distraction from the content of his character before many who have just realized his genius. Labeling him? GOD didn't make a mistake by gifting him . He was a brilliant inspiration to the Black community in America and people worldwide. As a Christian with a teachable spirit, I don't know who can know the mind of God? , The man James Baldwin is who I've all ways seen as a Blessing.
Wow. Just incredible. I'm a bid ashamed I was not previously aware of this man. Time to hit the books and do some research! Thank you so much for sharing this! ☮️❤️
Perhaps due to the lack of depth or lack of historical depth, but many overlook the time of this debate, "1965". Again, 1965. It was a time segregation was wide spread in the United States and along with it, an 'in your face hatred'. Baldwin was stating his argument in a mostly white forum in a different country. Even he didn't expect what would happen Hence, the surprised look on his face when they gave him a standing ovation. Though also American, I would imagine Buckley was much more comfortable in his own skin. No pun intended. Considering the position, Baldwin composure, bravery and delivery was enviable. Most people "regardless of color of skin" would've never done it. Therefore, one has to give Baldwin massive, and I mean massive respect.
in your small mind yes , because you cannot understand the context of the times and fail to understand that the black tribal system was in many cases far worse than anything colonialism brought
DaksBled Because, it is a conscience effort to push a very narrow, negative narrative of people of color! Especially during that man’s time! There is such a thing as white supremacy in this world, make no mistake!
without any more information than what youve presented, i wouldnt jump to any conclusions. how do you know it isnt because there is a lot of history to choose from, and one must prioritise ones learning. im sure there are many great figures that could be taught in schools to great effect, the problem is prioritising! surely. or at least, im not jumping to any further conclusions without any further information on the subject anyway... although in this subject, in my sixth form history we did learn about the american civil rights movement. so we did learn about this subject generally. it certainly wasnt ignored.
"Until the moment comes when we, the American people, are able to accept the fact, that I have to accept, for example, that my ancestors are both white and Black. That on that continent we are trying to forge a new identity for which we need each other, and that I am not a ward of America. I am not an object of missionary charity. I am one of the people who built the country-until this moment there is scarcely any hope for the American dream, because the people who are denied participation in it, by their very presence, will wreck it."
People are pin-struck. Me too. Listen again and de-construct. "I, for example am both white and black" ua-cam.com/video/NUBh9GqFU3A/v-deo.html James Baldwin is truly gifted. Wolf in sheep's clothing. White wolf as black sheep. He moved easily among many flocks. Gifted is gifted but, best to look a gift horse in the mouth. His Internet dentistry is loudly avoided. Obama too still fools the flocks.
@@Mrbobinge The problem is nobody wants racial intermixing- that's the real issue- which is why people whom side with conservatives are called traitors- same crap different era
@@ThatOneAlbinoMofo So right. So easy for the mob to call Traitor. Fear, self preservation is their motivation. Cowardice. It's being taught from play-school onwards.
There are millions and millions like him....sadly, we live in a world that does its best to keep such people from platforms. Very few ever manage to slip through the cracks and often they wind up murdered within a few years of them stepping on that platform.
What a strange, all loving god, that sends his own creations to hell for offending him. Given his powers of foresight, one can only assume that when he so kindly bestowed the gift of free will, upon his beloved children, he did so knowing that this beautiful act was going to condemn most to hell! He may be all powerful and all knowing but a quick glance at the state of the world (at any time in history) would surely be all it would take for an all loving god to intervene and put an end to its injustices and suffering.
One of the most articulate and well-spoken men I've ever had the privilege of listening to. He spent his entire life fighting for the rights of Black Americans and still he is not even taught in school. 9/10 Americans probably would not even recognize his name if you asked them. It's criminal. Long live Baldwin.
Very interesting to think about this. There were still power dynamics in that room as he gave the speech, given time period, location, race and Britain's own historical relationships with black nations and peoples around the world. I'm always a bit confounded when I think about what there is to do beyond accept applause. How do you break out of this relationship between orator and passive, unperturbed and unobligated to change audience members?
Jameel Mohammed Repairing and replacing. Reach out to the true visionaries and work beside them. Set aside that position of entitlement and get on the ground with the oppressed. Breathe their disgust and rebuild a new society with one aspect in mind. Truth should be that aspect.
To be ‘colorblind’ in a system that for centuries has intentionally targeted people for precisely the color of their skin, is a twisted, insidious level of delusion and privilege not afforded to the targets; implicitly sweeping *ongoing* race-based injustice under the rug, a functional apathy and ignorance that simply serves to perpetuate the structural inequities and axes of (race-based, gender-based, class-based) power. I get that because you yourself are not affected/personally incentivized to educate yourself on such topics, you are therefore more than ok with being the obstructive white moderate that MLK lambasted in his letter written in Birmingham jail -that is if you are even aware that that is who you are. You would have been on the wrong side of history then, and you sure are on the wrong side now.
@@docan5248 ... Well, that was quite harsh. Can you define what was so inherently WRONG regarding my statement? "Not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character"...?
@@reisekeller6859 in theory, what you said about one's skin color was right. In practice, though, that's not what I'm seeing around me and have seen in a not so distant past.
@@obbie1osias467 ... I agree, there are instances where that's true. I just find it odd, that people who embrace the principles of racial equality, are mocked and insulted.
I agree, he took a different path at the fork in the road on two thoughts. Although, I am Italian and if I were told, "there may be an Italian President in 40 years", I'd take offense to that, and so would a Jew or a woman.
Baldwin was a hell of a speaker. I have a copy of an address he made to a group of Harlem school parents. He was prescient and seemed to be able to look into the future. Much of what he predicted has happened. His kind doesn't appear on the scene very often.
3:43 That RFK prediction was so profound. ‘There’s no question about it,’ the attorney general said. ‘In the next 40 years a Negro can achieve the same position that my brother has.’ … Kennedy said that prejudice exists and probably will continue to … ‘But we have tried to make progress and we are making progress. We are not going to accept the status quo.’ - Robert F. Kennedy, Washington Post, May 27, 1968 Barack Hussein Obama II is an American politician who served as the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017.
People are pin-struck. Me too. Listen again and de-construct. "I, for example am both white and black" ua-cam.com/video/NUBh9GqFU3A/v-deo.html James Baldwin is truly gifted. Wolf in sheep's clothing. White wolf as black sheep. He moved easily among many flocks. Gifted is gifted but, best to look a gift horse in the mouth. His Internet dentistry is loudly avoided.
Just found out that this man existed this morning. Such a progressive thinker. Each day is a fight. Fight to wake up. Fight to make it to work. Fight to pay the bills. We fight for acceptance. We fight for a our dignity. Then we grow old, but lets never get tired of the fight. The struggle will become your legacy. Godspeed. God bless America.
I could listen to this man talk the ABC’s to me. His voice was so clear. And he was articulate. One of the greatest orators of the 20th century black or white. But it feels good that he was black. 😊
@@millieil6510 I agree BLM are racketeers stoking racial tension to make money. www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/blm-leader-arrested-for-allegedly-spending-dollar200k-in-donations-on-tailored-suits-a-house-and-guns/ar-BB19tnUQ
This guy had the most elegant speaking voice of his generation.
He was Obama before Obama.
P Dag My bad about not being clear in what I said. I said that he’s like Obama because he can speak well.
@Valerie O'Brien your a very clever person Valerie.
@Valerie O'Brien Dear Valerie: What you're describing is exactly what Baldwin predicted here. He predicted social chaos if Blacks are left out of the American mainstream, and that's just what you're describing, the slow descent of American Society into chaos and these constant protests across America in the last 6 months show how extreme its gotten. I empathize with your Do-Gooder suggestion that the protesters would do better to work with the Black people, but that's just wasted labor when the oppression comes from the very top. America was founded by Rich White Men for their own benefit and no one else's. 300+ years later and guess what ? The Rich White Men still rule America. The truth is that neither the Rich White Men nor most White Americans of lesser status see Black people as being fully human beings, and fully worthy of the respect and dignity that every human being deserves. Until that happens, the chaos will increase until a Second American Revolution gives America back to ALL Americans. ... jkulik919@gmail.com
@Valerie O'Brien you have grasped a large part of the truth in your comment. However, when change becomes essential, the party that must change must make signs of change. Renaming monuments and buildings are essential signs of change. We will not miss these names, these statues, twenty years from now.
Imagine having to stand in front of an audience and inform them you're human. It would make me despair.
I dont need any approval from anyone as to my existence in this world
What a racist thing to say!! It just shows how much contempt you have for black people.
My comment is certainly not meant to express any contempt for black people. Quite the opposite. Can one of you explain why you interpreted it that way?
I intended to express, with sadness, how it should even be that someone would feel the need to defend their humanity.
No one should need at all to do that ever.
@@fiandrhi you're being trolled. i suspect the previous commenters understood you perfectly, and purposely misinterpreted you in an attempt to chastise you for your empathy and support. sadly (and weirdly), there are highly active networks of these types online who attack kind comments such as yours to keep everyone arguing and angry at each other. your original sentiment is greatly appreciated, John.
Yes
I have always believed that James Baldwin's work should be studied in our public schools. One of the most amazing men of his time, and of ours
Umm Kay we studied him in 10th grade at my high school. Hardest books I’ve read, emotionally speaking.
Go Tell It on the Mountain is in a lot of required high school reading.
I'll be damned. I did not know it was required reading in some high schools, especially given some of the books that have been banned from the reading list. Mr. Baldwin was a thinker and a doer. He was brilliant in every way. And his own time was to be ahead of others' time. Thank God that he walked into territory where there were no sign posts.
Dan Waldis I grew up with some black history in public school system. I guess it helps that the father of black history is from my hometown... (well he lived there and was educated there and made a fingerprint there plaques and his statue...so same thing.)
My high school Black history class never covered James Baldwin and I really wish we had. I love reading and listening to his work but have never analyzed it in an academic setting.
"I'm not a ward of America, I'm not an object in a missionary charity. I'm one of the people who built this country."
How do people forget that?
The comprehensively overwhelming majority of people do not forget it.
Our elites profit from attempting to make us forget.
Because they where never told and now think they ”know” US history and that it can't possibly be true
He was light skin an he was terrible at being president
Propaganda, who is black today?
@@jonathanfrancis109 What is propaganda? The TRUTH? Mr. Francis, the truth cannot be propaganda. It is fact. Propaganda is your statement intended to muddy the picture and draw attention away from the truth. Sir, look to your state, your country and your God and avoid all 'I believe' statements. Rather, ASK: What is true? There is advancement to be had when one is armed with the truth. Sadly, the alternative is degradation.
It is a crime that he is not taught in schools.
Not just in American all over the world
I graduated high school in 2014 never heard of him smh
He's not?
He was taught in the 70s and 80s.
HeyZeus Ghoti
I never learned about him in school.
JR HUNT there a lot of guys all over the world now. Some are still on their shelves. However I don’t see a problem in being gay. One should not be judge for is sexuality.
“What is it you wanted me to reconcile myself to? I was born here, almost 60 years ago. I’m not going to live another 60 years. You always told me ‘It takes time.’ It’s taken my father’s time, my mother’s time, my uncle’s time, my brothers’ and my sisters’ time. How much time do you want for your "progress"?”
- James Baldwin
"In 40 years we may let you become President." Prophetic. It was 1968.
it was 1965 actually.
However Baldwin's point was that Robert Kennedy being "prophetic" was actually a terrible illustration of power imbalance. Kennedy's words came true in accordance with the wishes of other white men in power like himself who "allowed" that timeline to be realized. If anything, Baldwin is the truly prophetic one, and it is not a happy thing that he is. He did not disagree with Kennedy, he grimly took him at his word, but it forced him to ask: Why? Why not 40 years ago? Why not 400 years ago? Why is it always the oppressor's prerogative when black people are given power and opportunity? That is what Baldwin is saying. Sorry if you already got all that and it's what you were remarking on.
Thanks for the year...because I caught that also. 👍
I think you missed the point of that quote. @됴디 됴디's reply sums it up well.
Right thow....damn smh
“We’ve been betrayed by politicians so long“.
Black people are just tired. Sick and tired.
Every people group except the ruling elite class is being bent over and screwed. We need to unite and put our cross hairs on this common enemy.
Sick & tired of being sick & tired.
@@judethree4405 We DO need racial unity in the struggle against Capitalism.
@Flip Arrachi Which black people are you referring to?
what history erases for their own benefit to get the black votes is the Democrats created the KKK and murdered blacks and Republican Senators on the countryside... look it up if you can find it.. but you speak this today.. these assholes claim the PaRtIeS ReVeRsEd.... they never reversed... its in plain sight and a con art they get blacks to vote for them..- portray the other was the enemy so you vote for the enemy itself- AKA BRAINWASHING- YOU are succumbed to it also.. so wake up to their BS trolling- they are literally laughing at you behind you behind closed doors falling for this shit
I'm not a ward of America, I am one of the people who built the country.
Emeline Emeline my favotite part. "I am not an object of missionary charity"
Thank you so much for posting, first time I've seen this in it's entirety and I'm blown away.
Emeline Emeline this is an excerpt from a debate against William F Buckley. Baldwin speaks a great deal longer than this short clip suggests.
ted kaczynski You aren’t an american but an Eastern European. You have no say over a black american. And never will.
Exactly! And this is one point that Buckley never acknowledges. Ever.
I worked at a film archive and we had so much footage of him. God, he was just amazing. Such intense eye contact and speech patterns are so soothing. He earnestly tried to understand and responded without condescension to those that hated him. He was an intellectual giant.
Where can we get the content you were working on ?
@@sunsetcocktails4211 Wolfson Florida Moving Images Archive.
@@sunsetcocktails4211 there is also the PBS American Masters episode on him, a 90-minute orgy of this kind of discussion. Title is 'James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket.' and you can buy it from PBS or rent it via Vimeo on-demand. Well worth the $4 and the time.
Late nineteen eighties there was a wee bit of J.Baldwin snuck in between programs on television* in new zealand. I've been fascinated ever since.
*tvnz would insert bits of random video when there were no ads to run, back in the day...
And even if he wasn't a soothing voice his words still would be true. Even when we tried to speak eloquently about racism we were ignored. So that era is over. What you have now is black people sick of being nice while they ignore our humanity.
James Baldwin remains one of the clearest and most piercing voices on race in America.
He was also a great essayist.
We read a few of his essays and short stories when I was in school. I need to find more.
Clear......💯%
"Race", "racist"...those two words.
To that, I say, it's actually called "ethnicist".......we're one race........
Could certainly listen to him for more than the 8min 14 sec given here.
Amazing talk. As a white man and father of two white children, I will be sure to have my two teenagers watch this short speech since I am quite sure they will never be introduced to even the name of James Baldwin in their public schools.
Kevin Miller and check out his writing one of the best writers ever..read A Native Son... and Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man. Great post btw!
Invisible Man is by Ralph Ellison another great writer. He was named after Ralph Emerson, so his fate was sealed.!
Regina Keels omg... you are so ooo right!!! ..
Regina Keels I love that book... and James Baldwin wrote another powerful book.. A Native Son.. I will correct it! Thanks so much
Kevin Miller Thank you, sir for doing that. We need more people like you who educate their children the right way.
"Because the people who are denied participation in it by their very existence will wreck it."
... that's such a powerful statement
Presence, not existence. 🙂
And it does not apply only to racial minorities.
@@franek_izerski what's a racial minority exactly?🤔
@@kjp551 It's like a racial majority, only smaller.
@@waltonsimons12 what I mean to ask is what do you mean by racial in particular. Blacks? Anything but whites? I'm trying to understand exactly what that means.
went here after watching the first presidential debate between Trump and Biden. need to hear people and leaders talk like this again.
Just gave the presidential debate between JFK and Nixon from 1960 a try, and was flabbergasted by the difference in style, eloquence, argumentation etc. Both spoke very well, with respect for each other's points of view (at least in front of the camera), didn't interrupt each other (other formula) etc. None of the mudthrowing Punch & Judy show of 2020. Clearly, not every change is progress...
Hear, hear. Great intelligent speaker.
@Chad KIn order to pull Mr. Baldwin down, one must be beneath him. I would never use racism an "excuse for black failures", but I'm wise enough to know that racism did and still exist, and that the affects have been psychologically traumatizing for many people of color. I studied Black history in America, and words are often inadequate to describe the inhumane treatment inflicted upon Blacks by the dominant culture. Perhaps you would rather enjoy the benefits of denial.
With no reference to a teleprompter or even notes. This guy is amazing
Because he has dedicated his life to knowledge. His mind for information is exceptionally high, he's just winging it..he has a handful of points but his ability to wing it like this is his vocabulary and knowledge.
@bert smith don't do that
There was no need for a teleprompter because the audience was not hostile or adversarial, they were mature, and patient enough let the man think and get his thoughts together and his words out. If only more audiences were like that today, we might learn a few things from one another.
Humanity + Intelligence + Dignity = James Baldwin 🙌🏽
Yes. An intelligent man with honestly is golden. Too often wise and clever men and women are dangerously selfish and amoral. The honest and dignified tend to be foolish and often mislead. One with both has outstanding magnanimous character.
emailkenny Yang 2020
"The people who are denied participation in (the American Dream) by their very presence, will wreck it."
Prophetic words, Mr. Baldwin. Very prophetic words.
@Brad1156 Jesus fuck, you're dumb. Shut your racist ass up.
@Brad1156 They.
@Brad1156 Fascists like you always hide behind words like 'culture', when we all know what you mean. Why are Nazis always so afraid to just admit what they are instead of hiding behind dogwhistle terms like 'bad culture'?
@Brad1156 I stand by my original statement. We see you clearly.
@Brad1156
When I grew up, I believed that we were doomed to be in poverty.
The thing that gave me a different perspective was the movie Rosewood and then studying the history of Rosewood.
It made me ask many questions about how the survivors managed after losing everything? What was their mental state like after surviving such a horrific tragedy? What did they teach their children? It was then that some of the echoed sentiments I heard all my life made sense. Statements like "the white man won't let you have anything." I realized these were people that was born into defeat and didn't even want to try because well Rosewood could happen again.
It is so easy to sit in our own world of comfort and criticize and proclaim what they should do all while being completely ignorant to the actual lived experiences and policies created to exacerbate negative experiences. We don't realize the herculean efforts it requires to fight against a system that systematically attempts to keep you poor, incarcerated, uneducated and unhealthy.
You have to ask, could you continue to thrive if you kept witnessing the murder of your family? The loss of all possessions and economy? Being forced to live in food and job desserts? Imagine what it would take for you to find a way to regain what your family once had a second, third or more.
If he was taught in schools, globally, imagine how far civil rights would have progressed by this current year.
Agreed! He's so on the bullseye.
Remember perspective. In his time: segregation is real; Black heroes in the arts, sciences, business, sports etc etc etc were non-existent if not unique. 60+ years ago. Before civil rights, the war on drugs, affirmative action.
@@dsamh yep, I didnt forget, just meaning he is less preachy than the loud ones and shows his education, experience and observation through the manner in how he speaks so eloquently. He may not be the loudest voice in the room, but he is definitely the strongest.
Im totally disagree with that. It's not like math. He saw the bloody massacre, he lived that. I think thats why he was that great.
His observation was something already known to the enemy. He only showed them he can adequately speak on it. The enemy always know what it does to it's prey.
He locked eyes with every single person of attendance. His energy is on another level
Baldwin is an intellectual giant, a genius, a highly moral being, and one of the best examples of creation. No one can ever diminish him or the African people unless we let them. As African people, we must take inspiration in knowing that we are a great people because in spite of all the challenges we have faced all over the world for the past 400 years, look at the quality of individuals we have produced. The greatest moral leaders, athletes, entertainers, business, science, you name it and we have conquered it. Oh yes, we are a great people who just keep rising.
Channeling your inner Hitler?
You actually have no right to be proud of something beyond your control. Don’t be ashamed. But you’ve no right to be proud or have a sense of self entitlement about it. I’m black but I share zero connection with Africans other than a human one. I’m an American, not an African American. Never even been to Africa. I have more in common with a white man from Iowa than I do with a black one in The Gambia. My identity is something I control, not something I’m cast the part of. And I revel in it. THATS EMPOWERING.
Shakka Musa I’d prefer to have the worldview that we’re all equally shitty people. But if this makes the world go ‘round, sure..
Yeah... But African Americans ain't African... Make sure to learn that part
"SUBSCRIBE" TO MY UA-cam CHANNEL AND LET BUILD ON KNOWLEDGE AND UPDATED INFORMATION TO PROTECT OUR GREAT BLACK FUTURE. .ua-cam.com/channels/1pvtRYXEGjPcEBb6HOPe_A.htmlvideos?view_as=subscriber
Never has America had a more proliferate and amazing writer and visionary, as James Baldwin. Long live his name!
Flamur Krasniqi True
theres nothing about Baldwin to like , he was anti-white and a divisionist same as Malcolm X the thug.
LIAR OR MORON? NO MIDDLE GROUND FOR YOUR COMMENT
K you are a FOOL.
Argue with fools not, for he who argues with the fool, is the fool really the fool? Long Live James Baldwin!
AS A BLACK MAN IN AMERICA IN 2018 I LOVE JAMES MORE THEN EVER. WHAT'S SAD IS MY BLACK BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE DEALING WITH THE SAME THING AND ARE HAVING THE SAME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT AMERICA AND RACE RELATIONS.
Tears and saddens that our country has bearly moved the needle on equality
true. most of my despair results from the reality that most of it is monologue...we're not listening, we're not internalizing, we're not proactively working toward different. we, in essence, are active in facilitating our oppression by helping to maintain the systems that oppress us. it's time for the change that Sam Cooke told us was coming.
Well, there _was_ a time in American history when eloquence was a virtue.
Still relevant today. Which is sad, if you think about it.
Very sad
BlueBallz both parties are at fault, if you watched the speech you can clearly tell he’s not only calling out those who oppress but also those who try to free the oppressed from themselves (kennedy); also, the expansion of the welfare state and affirmative action has not done a single thing to help minorities, in fact it has only made the situation worse, and you and me both know your shining diamonds JFK and LBJ did this, so rethink your argument and views to remove your bias.
"There is scarcely any hope for the American dream because the people who are denied participation in it by their very presence will wreck it. And if that happens it is a very grave moment for the West."
Prophetic.
Beautifully crafted.
Eloquent.
Powerful.
Brilliance. His words are as important and needed as ever. I wish I had learned about him in high school. His speeches and writings should be mandatory because they express so perfectly America's problem with interpersonal and structural racism.
Lauren R you are wrong. The trials and tribulations of Black Folk in his day are different than today. People need to realize that slavery is over, Jim Crow, which was actually legislated discrimination, has been eradicated. The playing field is much more level for Black Folk. Continuing to live in the past is a mistake for Black Folk. There is not a black child who, hopefully raised by Two Loving parents, cannot become a brain surgeon if he or she keeps their nose clean, works hard, and has the wherewithal to achieve it. There is no legislated racism, there is no white privilege, there is no institutional racism. There are individuals within society and individuals within institutions that most certainly are racist but there is no Grand array of racists acting as a bulwark against black achievement. Those days are over. Yes thank God we had people like James Baldwin and Martin Luther King, but to continue to believe that the the same historical problems currently exist for blacks is using history as a crutch.
Relatively things are better than they were, but racism is far from over. It is like a chameleon that changed its colors but not its nature. Slavery didn't just magically disappear. Many people fought and died to make that happen. It also took about 226 years to do it. They thought that it would eventually fade away. It didn't and when it was challenged, those whose livelihood was dependent upon it naturally fought to keep it. True, Jim Crow was fought and defeated too. Both slavery and Jim Crow were upheld by de-jure (law) racism and segregation. They have both been abolished legally, but that doesn't meant that the attitudes and prejudices that upheld them are not there anymore. Institutionalized racism is not tangible and written into law. It is written on peoples hearts. It is de facto racism. It is racism as it is manifested through attitudes and behaviors. It is manifested through racial stereotypes. It is the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about or if you do, everyone gets touchy and angry.
D M sorry, I don't buy it. Individuals may be racist or not. Racism has nothing to do with any specific color. Whites can be racist, blacks can be racist. What I do know is that there is no one keeping a minority in poverty. I don't care what color you are, if you keep your nose clean work hard passed the tests then anyone can be a brain surgeon. I know because I work with these people. The black orthopedic surgeon is the first person to tell you that racial politics is b*******. In fact, the so-called empathetic left are the people responsible for black poverty. The indirect effects of welfare programs keeps the black family fragmented. You cannot have a man in the house and get Aid to dependent children, food stamps, Section 8, free healthcare Etc... This tends to replace the husband and father with the government . An exceptionally bad idea. Blaming a group's problems on a non-existent white Boogeyman is ridiculous.
Whether or not you _buy it_ or not, is entirely your choice. I can only present the information and my side of the matter.I don't get into all that liberal/alt-right political stuff. We can use as many labels as we want, but what it boils down to is your actions. Calling my self a good guy doesn't make me one. You would look at my actions and see whether they match my words right? You, as an individual person, may not care about race or color but verily I say unto you that there are plenty that do A WHOLE LOT and they are becoming more and more colorful and expressive of that point of view. I aware that there are blacks and other non-whites that absolutely disdain whites and wish them no good. I also know people of many different races of color that hate each other to no end with no other reason to _having had the audacity to be born a certain group not like their own._ Unfortunately, society treats us all differently. People tend to care for those who are most like them. That's human nature. Its very tribal. We, as a species still haven't grown out of it. Things aren't as bad as they once were, but they can still be much better.. When we start getting lazy, complacent and start saying everything is all better is when things start to relapse. No one can undo the horrors of the past and the terrible atrocities that have been done. That doesn't mean we have to sit idly by and let it repeat itself which is exactly what will happen if we sweep it under the rug. I have no idea of what it is to live as a White American man or even as a white person of whatever nationality or gender. I don't even have a clue as to live as a Black African man. I don't have the frames of reference. .The same thing goes for a Native man, an Asian man or some other kind of non-black American man. Its audacious. *You referred to institutionalized racism as a non existent white boogeyman.* I would use a different way of describing it, but it is indeed an evil monster most on the receiving end would gladly ascribe to myth and legend. We most assuredly wish it were not the case.
Read this and reply back. www.thoughtco.com/examples-of-institutional-racism-in-the-u-s-2834624
D M you seem to be sincere. But let me ask you a question. Can you name one instance of institutional racism? I mean an actual event not something that you're imagining. Because if you could I would immediately help you attack it. But you can't. All you can do is talk about a ghost in the machine, something you imagine is there, something that you blame for the failure of a group, something you should be blaming the failings of the individual for. Let me say it again. There is no white Boogeyman keeping anyone down. If you work hard, keep your nose clean, passed the tests, there is not a medical school in the United States that would deny you entry. I work with too many black surgeons, black oncologists, black CEOs to believe any of your divisive racial politics. I understand that there are isolated instances of racism, but it is not institutionalized. And you are wrong. Slavery and Jim Crow are ancient history. To bring them up as something relevant in today's society is not only disingenuous but dangerous. You are pulling us apart, not bringing us together. Everyone needs to get over these race politics, these identity politics. They are simply a method for the postmodern neo-marxist to try to regain a foothold when their beloved communism resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Millions of people in Maos China and Stalin's Russia. America is a Beacon of Hope for the world. That's why so many people are desperate to come here.
One can’t take their eyes off this man. Riveting.
Two thinks thou speaketh like a tool.
Valerie O'Brien - Baldwin died end of ‘87. If you get the chance to read his works, watch his interviews or view any movies about him or his writing, do it.
His articulate eloquence is like the precision of a surgeon’s blade. I wish he was still with us.
What an incredible speaker. It's a crime that we never learn much (if anything) about Baldwin and other black civil rights activists who aren't MLK or Malcolm X.
And very oversimplified and caricatured versions of both men at that. MLK was more radical than a many, probably most, whites would like and Malcolm X was not an unhinged fanatic that popular history has often portrayed him as. Malcolm X had a lot of anger, for certain. But he had much to be angry about.
@@ScorpionViper1001 Here here to that. I've seen so many white moderates and conservatives try to weaponize MLK's supposed fixation on non-violence when the man himself knew that rioting was a legitimate form of protest. Just goes to show what their true agenda is:stopping any real change.
This is a speech I had never heard until today. This needs to be taught in schools the world over, particularly over in the United States.
This highly and well intelligent black man speaks so eloquently well, he was way before his time. His voice and his words truly need to be heard today. REST IN PARADISE my brother 🙏 ❤
There was A LOT packed into those few words. Staggering. You have to listen to that again and unpack it fully. Truth!
Indeed - I have replayed the whole Cambridge speech 3 times, amazing intelligence and humanity!
Can you feel the melody? This is a voice to hear everyday.
What a most excellent articulate patriot of America- what a National Treasure. ❤
He came a does as very calm and assured, charismatic and eloquent when he spoke.
This is what happens when someone accepts the fact he makes mistakes, has to learn and there is in many situations the possibility they are just wrong. Its called being reasonable.
Today everyone thinks they know everything and are incredibly self-entitled living in their bubble. UA-cam 'experts' are a great example of this. Many have barely left school, have no real working/life experience and they start a channel where they act like experts and get paid tons of money because of their influence... This is the main source children are learning from now... Also a big problem how everyone seems to think it is normal that schools now push political agenda's, including universities... This such a terrible situation.
Just looks at black lives matter and then compare them with guys like this and Martin Luther King...
Born out of Poverty, Black, and gay, in a time and place it was not accepted, this man rose to his potential with what he has between his ears and the power of his words. That's simply remarkable.
So much so that members in Martin's camp didn't want the civil rights leader even associating with him due to his homosexuality. I feel that may be one of the principle reason we do not hear about Mr. Baldwin in school. I only learned of him as an adult through my own reading rather than any sort of school cirriculum. I'm not going to say that if everyone heard Mr. Baldwin that things would be different. They probably wouldn't. I think he requires a maturity - and above all - empathy in order to understand. Two things that I fear the people that you would most want to educate are fundamentally lacking until they come stumbling into the light themselves rather than forcibly dragged.
Back in his time, Baldwin bore the twin burden of living as a black man and a gay person. He would have been rejected by the white society of then for his race and by his own for his sexual orientation. It shows what a strong man he was to bear such a heavy lift day in day out while still summoning strength and resolve to become a formidable man of letter and thought, which he expressed with grace and eloquence few could at any time. I wonder if African American men and women of today know much of James Baldwin?
ManjaroJam I was wondering if he was gay, hate that but He was awesome in. His vision and delivery
ManjaroJam . We have ALWAYS known him. He's 'black famous' try Medgar Evers, Huey Newton, and Claude McKay.
katina harper Yes we have!!
erica flexx sorry but he was but that didn't take away his love for his people. He hated this place with it's racist views and actions until he moved to France at age 22 I think. He never wanted to live here again but he said he missed his people. Duel citizenship if I'm not mistaken. I think he's also buried there. Listen to his speeches and read his books. He openly admired it and it was no secret to us back then. Listen to his video on being "poor, Black and gay".
erica flexx he was. He's stated it. Written great novels about homosexuality including one of my personal favorites "Giovanni's Room"
His words always give me hope. Long live his name. These interviews and speeches are always a breath of fresh air. He wasn’t afraid to say those things,that were constantly pushed under the rug.
Good bless him and all those watching this now.
Oh Lord! Thank you for James Baldwin
David Linx
Indeed!
I could listen to him forever. So sadly relevant today.
"i am one of the people that helped build this country..." YAAAASSSS
When God plants a seed and nurtures it Himself, you get James Baldwin
and God made him suffer the whole way.
harmoniabalanza and STILL HE RISES!
Not really sure what this comment means, but Baldwin was critical of religion, and described himself as non-religious.
@@bwkelley Baldwin was critical of some aspects this is true but it wasn't just as simple as that. He did give credit for it inspiring many black activists in the Civil Rights movement...
@@Rendell001 He still wasn't religious though, so to give credit to God for "gifting" us him, is incredibly insulting to Mr. Baldwin.
Kindness is never dead! It crosses time and space. Thank you
This is the type of curriculum that would produce more critical thinkers if it were integrated into schools. It is also a prerequisite for spiritual growth.
In early Christianity it was stated I believe To Know The Non-Judgmental Reasoning of Christ is to Know the Truth and the Truth Will Set You Free.
Darren B .... the operative word being thinkersll
I’ve offered/assigned Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time for close to twenty years at a Christian school. Have seen how his words push students to thought and growth. More should be reading him, and others like him, but most schools want to avoid controversy and discomfort.
Chilling, because it wipes the facade off of so much of what he speaks about
One of the reasons that I believe Baldwin was not embraced by more people (particularly in the "black" community) is because of his sexual orientation. In my experience, the general community which was some form of professed "conservative Christianity" would not easily embrace someone who admitted to a homosexual orientation. Also, I believe that it was because his discourse, although deep and heartfelt, was more intellectual and philosophically based than most "salt of the earth" folk could intuitively feel and therefore trust. Neither did he simply try to appeal to anyone's base nature, as to "stir them up" into activity they didn't fully care whether they truly comprehended it or not. All human beings are complex creatures, James Baldwin was no exception.
I've never understood why the defeated and enslaved peoples of European colonization took up the conservative form of religion of their masters. Africans, First Nations, Hawai`ians, etc. All have adopted and vehemently defend it. The Baptist Church[tm] has not been a friend, it only has led to grifters and charlatans taking their money -- tax free -- in exchange of empty promises generation after generation.
Greetings. Do you want to understand?
@richard Harris Homophobia in the black community has been a long-standing problem. ua-cam.com/video/tjYDpxm_mYE/v-deo.html
@richard Harris that still happens today. It's no secret that the black community largely doesn't embrace ppl who are LGBTQ. While I don't fall in that category I can say confidently my parents would forget they knew me if I was. The irony is this is in large part due to a religion that was forced upon them. But things are changing for the better, hopefully in time we can move past that
Was that necessary? Now there is a distraction from the content of his character before many who have just realized his genius. Labeling him? GOD didn't make a mistake by gifting him . He was a brilliant inspiration to the Black community in America and people worldwide. As a Christian with a teachable spirit, I don't know who can know the mind of God? , The man James Baldwin is who I've all ways seen as a Blessing.
Wow. Just incredible. I'm a bid ashamed I was not previously aware of this man. Time to hit the books and do some research! Thank you so much for sharing this! ☮️❤️
Tommy Culver Me too!
Well spoken...
Denita Goodwin
Amen
Well spoken my brother, rest easy, you done well, you had to move to Europe to be appreciated!
Perhaps due to the lack of depth or lack of historical depth, but many overlook the time of this debate, "1965". Again, 1965. It was a time segregation was wide spread in the United States and along with it, an 'in your face hatred'. Baldwin was stating his argument in a mostly white forum in a different country. Even he didn't expect what would happen Hence, the surprised look on his face when they gave him a standing ovation. Though also American, I would imagine Buckley was much more comfortable in his own skin. No pun intended. Considering the position, Baldwin composure, bravery and delivery was enviable. Most people "regardless of color of skin" would've never done it. Therefore, one has to give Baldwin massive, and I mean massive respect.
✊🏽 A great orator and incredible human being. I love James Baldwin. ✊🏽
Powerful!
in your small mind yes , because you cannot understand the context of the times and fail to understand that the black tribal system was in many cases far worse than anything colonialism brought
kevin matherest the truth hurts, don't it demon
He deserved that standing ovation!!!
This should be shown to children in schools as an educational method. This is good gold.
All the studying I did at school (UK) and I've never heard of this man... why?
DaksBled Because, it is a conscience effort to push a very narrow, negative narrative of people of color! Especially during that man’s time! There is such a thing as white supremacy in this world, make no mistake!
without any more information than what youve presented, i wouldnt jump to any conclusions. how do you know it isnt because there is a lot of history to choose from, and one must prioritise ones learning. im sure there are many great figures that could be taught in schools to great effect, the problem is prioritising! surely. or at least, im not jumping to any further conclusions without any further information on the subject anyway...
although in this subject, in my sixth form history we did learn about the american civil rights movement. so we did learn about this subject generally. it certainly wasnt ignored.
Well now you know!
If you listen closely, DaksBled, James Baldwin just told you.
I remember seeing him speak on tv as a young child
"Until the moment comes when we, the American people, are able to accept the fact, that I have to accept, for example, that my ancestors are both white and Black. That on that continent we are trying to forge a new identity for which we need each other, and that I am not a ward of America. I am not an object of missionary charity. I am one of the people who built the country-until this moment there is scarcely any hope for the American dream, because the people who are denied participation in it, by their very presence, will wreck it."
People are pin-struck. Me too. Listen again and de-construct. "I, for example am both white and black" ua-cam.com/video/NUBh9GqFU3A/v-deo.html James Baldwin is truly gifted. Wolf in sheep's clothing. White wolf as black sheep. He moved easily among many flocks. Gifted is gifted but, best to look a gift horse in the mouth. His Internet dentistry is loudly avoided. Obama too still fools the flocks.
@@Mrbobinge The problem is nobody wants racial intermixing- that's the real issue- which is why people whom side with conservatives are called traitors- same crap different era
@@ThatOneAlbinoMofo So right. So easy for the mob to call Traitor. Fear, self preservation is their motivation. Cowardice. It's being taught from play-school onwards.
Spellbound by his truth. Thanks to whoever had the mindfulness to record this moment.
Yes, they better give him a standing ovation
Kairo He seemed shocked that he got one
You ask me a question then go on to imagine my answer...THEN go on to call ME brainwashed...
yeah...okay
GLAZAR it was the first time the entire house have a standing ovation in the Oxford Union I think. It was a phenomenal speech.
GLAZAR YES he did seem very shocked by not only the applauds but the standing ovations as well...he couldn't believe it😕😕😕😕😕😕
Slappy you wouldn't recognize a great speech if Lincoln was in front of you
Still relevant today. Which is extremely defeating. We had a black president a few years ago and we still have to beg for black lives to matter.
"There is scarcely any hope for the American dream, because the people who are denied participation in it, by their very presence will wreck it."
He was also a gay black man. That must have been a hunderd times more difficult.
I thought so. I heard that in his voice. It's part of his eloquence.
🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️ stop categorizing humanity...it hasn't worked throughout human history
One of God's gifts to humanity.
without a doubt
theres nothing about Baldwin to like , he was anti-white and a divisionist same as Malcolm X the thug.
Please explain what was anti-white about the speech?
There are millions and millions like him....sadly, we live in a world that does its best to keep such people from platforms. Very few ever manage to slip through the cracks and often they wind up murdered within a few years of them stepping on that platform.
What a strange, all loving god, that sends his own creations to hell for offending him. Given his powers of foresight, one can only assume that when he so kindly bestowed the gift of free will, upon his beloved children, he did so knowing that this beautiful act was going to condemn most to hell! He may be all powerful and all knowing but a quick glance at the state of the world (at any time in history) would surely be all it would take for an all loving god to intervene and put an end to its injustices and suffering.
He speaks Elegantly reminds me of how Maya Angelo spoke
vava coulter @_ @
I agree. The interesting thing is that he and Maya were very close, and event dated briefly. The brilliance probably rubbed off on each other
@@MrBrentblair1130 They never dated. They had a Brother/Sister relationship. They were both gay.
Yes, he does!
Lol it surprises you a black man speaks "elegantly" and you compared him to Maya Angelo? Obviously a racist white Karen.
Wow! What class! We need to bring this intellectual, intelligent dialogue back again.
One of the most articulate and well-spoken men I've ever had the privilege of listening to. He spent his entire life fighting for the rights of Black Americans and still he is not even taught in school. 9/10 Americans probably would not even recognize his name if you asked them. It's criminal. Long live Baldwin.
His was sharp prescient mind, one of the finest our species produced. He will always be relevant.
I'm glad I learned about him in high school. 11th grade class read Go Tell It On the Mountain.
Lakeith Stansfield (Darius from Atlanta) could easily play James Baldwin. A James Baldwin biopic should be in the works as we speak.
Shoot, if Chadwick ❤was still with us, you already know, he would've played him
Lakeith definitely resembles him. Great actor too
@Chels. QXN okay, have a good day
James Baldwin - national treasure.
I like how James said " They're deprived by their very presence". It's true.
He still knew how to use the pulpit.
A brilliant man, we need someone like him today.
"there is scarcely any hope for the American dream because the people who are denied participation in it, by their very presence, will wreck it."
They listened, they heard, yet they only applaud... Liberty dies with thunderous applause
Royal Child
What a powerful statement!
Yeah well its a quote from a Star Wars prequel so that’s life for ya I guess
Very interesting to think about this. There were still power dynamics in that room as he gave the speech, given time period, location, race and Britain's own historical relationships with black nations and peoples around the world. I'm always a bit confounded when I think about what there is to do beyond accept applause. How do you break out of this relationship between orator and passive, unperturbed and unobligated to change audience members?
Jameel Mohammed Repairing and replacing. Reach out to the true visionaries and work beside them. Set aside that position of entitlement and get on the ground with the oppressed. Breathe their disgust and rebuild a new society with one aspect in mind. Truth should be that aspect.
Jameel Mohammed You don't😍😍😁😘
I respect ANY and ALL men (and women) that carry themselves with dignity, honor, and compassion. Color isn't relevant, only CHARACTER!
To be ‘colorblind’ in a system that for centuries has intentionally targeted people for precisely the color of their skin, is a twisted, insidious level of delusion and privilege not afforded to the targets; implicitly sweeping *ongoing* race-based injustice under the rug, a functional apathy and ignorance that simply serves to perpetuate the structural inequities and axes of (race-based, gender-based, class-based) power.
I get that because you yourself are not affected/personally incentivized to educate yourself on such topics, you are therefore more than ok with being the obstructive white moderate that MLK lambasted in his letter written in Birmingham jail -that is if you are even aware that that is who you are. You would have been on the wrong side of history then, and you sure are on the wrong side now.
@@docan5248 ... Well, that was quite harsh. Can you define what was so inherently WRONG regarding my statement? "Not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character"...?
@@reisekeller6859 in theory, what you said about one's skin color was right. In practice, though, that's not what I'm seeing around me and have seen in a not so distant past.
@@obbie1osias467 ... I agree, there are instances where that's true. I just find it odd, that people who embrace the principles of racial equality, are mocked and insulted.
@mbigboyny ... HA! So much for Christianity having any sort of COMPASSION! Anyway, my ancestors didn't own slaves.
Very well said. I am white and I shared this everywhere. GREAT speech by a very wise person!
Such a beautiful and honest soul.
This man always gives me chills. One of the greatest humans ever!
I thought he would appreciate Keneddy for that President remark. His line of thought totally blew my mind.
I agree, he took a different path at the fork in the road on two thoughts. Although, I am Italian and if I were told, "there may be an Italian President in 40 years", I'd take offense to that, and so would a Jew or a woman.
Mr. Baldwin was a great orator....we had many of them...Frederick Douglass comes to mind. He deserved all the applause.
Thank you, James Baldwin. Bless us from spirit.
Wonderfully spoken for our people should be required learning for our youth my children will be viewing this
Baldwin was a hell of a speaker. I have a copy of an address he made to a group of Harlem school parents. He was prescient and seemed to be able to look into the future. Much of what he predicted has happened. His kind doesn't appear on the scene very often.
I am somewhat worried by his accuracy, because most of his predictions had the American trajectory downward.
Do you have a link/transcript availabable?
3:43 That RFK prediction was so profound.
‘There’s no question about it,’ the attorney general said. ‘In the next 40 years a Negro can achieve the same position that my brother has.’ … Kennedy said that prejudice exists and probably will continue to … ‘But we have tried to make progress and we are making progress. We are not
going to accept the status quo.’
- Robert F. Kennedy, Washington Post, May 27, 1968
Barack Hussein Obama II is an American politician who served as the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017.
More relevant till today. Brilliant and eloquent thinker in his generation.
This just shows internet could be an amazing place. I mean look at this person, didn't even heard his name and now I am obsessed.
Imprecise words
Yes, brilliantly said and as relevant for then as for now.
People are pin-struck. Me too. Listen again and de-construct. "I, for example am both white and black" ua-cam.com/video/NUBh9GqFU3A/v-deo.html James Baldwin is truly gifted. Wolf in sheep's clothing. White wolf as black sheep. He moved easily among many flocks. Gifted is gifted but, best to look a gift horse in the mouth. His Internet dentistry is loudly avoided.
Oh my God Holy FUCK. WHY ISN'T THIS BEING PLAYED IN EVERY CLASSROOM IN THE WORLD???
Mr. Baldwin is one of, if not the greatest, most gracious, and articulate speakers I have ever had the pleasure of hearing!🐑
Just found out that this man existed this morning. Such a progressive thinker. Each day is a fight. Fight to wake up. Fight to make it to work. Fight to pay the bills. We fight for acceptance. We fight for a our dignity. Then we grow old, but lets never get tired of the fight. The struggle will become your legacy. Godspeed. God bless America.
I could listen to this man talk the ABC’s to me. His voice was so clear. And he was articulate. One of the greatest orators of the 20th century black or white. But it feels good that he was black. 😊
If they made a movie about James Baldwin, Chadwick Boseman would be PERFECT !!! IJS 🤷🏾♀️
How heartbreaking is your statement today!😔💔
No cuuz he died
Wow....
He has such amazing style in aura and delivery of language.
You can feel the audience is just spellbound, just like we are.
The look on his face and he looked up & around at the standing ovation he received. Woooow! That in itself speaks to me.
The way he was so shocked, at the standing ovation made me teary-eyed ;w;
How rare and wonderful that a testimonial seeks the man...and finds humility and unwavering authenticity.
Powerful words... this is the point that I think BLM is trying to get across and what I have been trying to tell the world 🌎 👊🏽💪🏾🙏🏽🙌🏾
BLM is another white liberal ploy to push their Communist agenda using the black American as their "football."
@@millieil6510 I agree BLM are racketeers stoking racial tension to make money. www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/blm-leader-arrested-for-allegedly-spending-dollar200k-in-donations-on-tailored-suits-a-house-and-guns/ar-BB19tnUQ
Voices from the past with a truth that's still relevant today. History full circle
I feel like he personifies the word 'eloquence'. The subtle fierceness in his tone gives me goosebumps.
He was so ahead of his time!!! We are at this particular moment today via the end of the speech...
So sad yet so amazing. Imagine if all was treated equally right from the start.