Fan Favorite: Great American Authors | James Baldwin: The Exile | 5

About this episode

This episode explores the life and impact of James Baldwin, a prominent figure in American literature and the Civil Rights movement.

Born into poverty in Harlem in 1924, James Baldwin rose to become a celebrated novelist, essayist, playwright, and poet, and a leading voice in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. In his debut novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, and in his essay collections, Notes of a Native Son and The Fire Next Time, Baldwin wrote eloquently and provocatively about race, religion, sexuality, politics and class.  To distance himself from the racial hatred and discrimination at home, Baldwin spent much of his adult life in France, helping to create a vibrant community for other Black artists, such as Nina Simone, Miles Davis and Josephine Baker. But he returned to America often to provide a fearless and incisive testimony to the events that defined his tumultuous era. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Topics covered

• James Baldwin
• Civil Rights Movement
• American Literature
• Race and Identity
• Exile and Community

Keywords

• James Baldwin
• Civil Rights
• Harlem
• literature
• exile
• Black artists
• race
• politics

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Go Tell It on the Mountain, Notes of a Native Son, The Fire Next Time

Places: Harlem

More episodes of American History Tellers

• American Revolution | Tis' Time to Part | 2 · June 10, 2026 · 42 min
• New Season - Dr. Death: The Cowboy · June 9, 2026 · 6 min
• American Revolution | Liberty or Death | 1 · June 3, 2026 · 43 min
• Edison vs. Tesla | The Business of Discovery | 4 · May 27, 2026 · 38 min
• Listen Now: OnlyFantasy · May 21, 2026 · 7 min
• Edison vs. Tesla | Triumph of Illumination | 3 · May 20, 2026 · 43 min