Oshalia Johnson
Introduction to Literature
James Baldwin biograph
James Arthur Baldwin was born August 2, 1924 in Harlem, New York.
His mother, Emmaerdis Jones, left his biological father because of his drug abuse. In New York,
his mother married a preacher, David Baldwin, with whom she had eight children, born between
1927 and 1943.
Baldwin was very intelligent and combined with the persecution by his stepfather caused
Baldwin to spend much of his time alone in libraries.
By the time Baldwin was a teen he had discovered his passion for writing. In 1937, at the age of
thirteen, he wrote his first article, titled “Harlem-Then and now,” which was published in his
school’s Magazine, The Douglas Pilot.
A lot of the things in his writings came from personal stories and experiences.
Baldwin was born during the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance is thought to have
spanned from 1918-1930. James Baldwin wrote on radical and social issues. He really focused
on the black experience in America. Also, several of his essay and interviews of the 1980s
discuss homosexuality and homophobia with fervor and forthrightness.
He had many works, from essays and novels to poetry and plays. One of Baldwin’s best works is
Sonny Blues which appears in many anthologies of short fiction.
In 1987, Kevin Brown, a photo-journalist from Baltimore, founded the national James Baldwin
Literary Society. The group organizes free public events celebrating Baldwin’s life and legacy.In
2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante included James Baldwin on his list of 100 Greatest African
Americans. In 2012 James Baldwin was inducted into the legacy walk, an outdoor public display
that celebrates LGBT history and people.
Oshalia Johnson
Introduction to Literature
James Baldwin biograph