James Baldwin's Fire

This message comes from Kelly Corrigan Wonders, a podcast hosted by New York Times best selling author Kelly Corrigan, who converses with guests to explore curiosity, humility, and creativity. Listen to Kelly Corrigan Wonders today. A quick heads up before we get started. This episode contains some strong language, including a racial slur and mention of suicide. Until the moment comes when we, the Americans, 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 which we need each other. 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. And if that happens, it's a very grave moment for the West. Thank you. Hey, I'm Ramtin Arablouei. I'm Ramtin Arablouei. You may have noticed a quote making the rounds on social media. It goes, not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. Those words are written by James Baldwin, whose voice you heard at the top, in an essay for The New York Times published in 1962. For many people, it rings as true today as it did then. The words have a power and clarity that seem to cut through time and space. It also shows how ideas re emerge in times when they seem most needed. And actually, that's something we talk about a lot when we develop episodes historical figures and their ideas. They inspire us, challenge our assumptions and sometimes push us to ask questions we might not otherwise have asked. And what better way than to look at the philosophy of James Baldwin, a writer who used the power of his words to confront in order to connect, something we can relate to today. Baldwin was an insightful commentator on Black identity, American democracy and racism. He saw something deep and ugly and stubborn in American culture, and he never hesitated to call it by its name, to bear witness regardless of what it cost him. Baldwin was a Black man. He was gay. And he was active from the 1940s to his death in 1987. He's still considered one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century. His story is amazing, but that isn't what we're going to focus on in this episode. We're gonna meet someone who spent his career diving into the meaning and purpose of James Baldwin's work, of his ideas, someone who can help us see the world through his eyes so that maybe, just maybe, we can gather a little more strength to face the things that must be changed in ourselves and our culture. Hello. My name is Lola Manuel Valentin calling from Charlotte, North Carolina, and you're listening to THROUGHLINE from NPR with Ronda Abdel Fattah and Ramtin Arablouei. Keep up …