Sydney Erb Ms. Sonnenberg English 2 (H), Period 6 19 December 2023 James Baldwin Introduction James Baldwin was one of the most influential writers of our time. Baldwin was a famous writer who wrote forty-two books, two plays, and around thirty-six essays. He left a mark on the literary world with his powerful words and thought-provoking ideas. Born in 1924, Baldwin grew up in poverty in Harlem, New York with his mother, stepfather, and five siblings. The Harlem Renaissance, an era where the African American community expressed themselves through art, music, and literature, started gaining attention while Baldwin was growing up. This era inspired Baldwin to write, being surrounded by such influential individuals at an incredibly influential time. In his life he supported important movements such as social injustice, unity, and strength using these in his books. He used his words to convey equality for all at the peak of the Civil Rights Movement alongside icons such as Martin Luther King Jr. Baldwin was one of the first black writers to write about queer relationships in his works, impacting literature itself. …show more content…
Growing up in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance, he was exposed to a vibrant community of artists. Baldwin met his mentor Richard Wright in 1944, another black writer who was one of the first to write about the treatment white people gave black people. The Harlem Renaissance, along with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s shaped Baldwin's perspective on race, identity, and social issues along with millions of other Americans. Baldwin's writing was as raw and honest as it was, raising awareness to the issues that the Civil Rights Movement brought attention to. His experiences as a black man in America provided him with unique stories and a voice ready to tell