James Baldwin

James Baldwin was born in 1924, the oldest of nine children, and grew up in poverty in Harlem. Early in his life, Baldwin followed in his father's footsteps and became a preacher. Baldwin's spiritual work gave him an awareness of the suffering within the black community and instilled in him a passion for writing.At the age of 18, Baldwin gave up preaching, got a job working on the New Jersey railroad and later moved to Greenwich Village. There, he worked as a freelance writer and met the prominent author Richard Wright, who took an interest in Baldwin and helped him receive a grant to move to Paris in 1948.

Baldwin later moved to Switzerland, where he published his first novel, "Go Tell It On the Mountain," in 1953. The work is an autobiography in which he vividly describes the struggle of life in black America. His next two novels, "Notes for a Native Son" and "Giovanni's Room," were equally provocative, discussing homosexuality and interracial relationships respectively.

In the early 1960s, Baldwin returned to the United States and supported a pacifist approach to gaining civil rights. His 1963 book "The Fire Next Time" was an important voice in the civil rights movement and a groundbreaking discussion of black identity. Later in life, Baldwin focused much of his energy on teaching, although he continued to publish stories, essays and poetry including his 1985 book "The Evidence of Things Not Seen." His was always a powerful voice for equality and unity.