"Notes of a Native Son" (1955) by James Baldwin: Being Black in the USA

"It began to seem that one would have to hold in the mind forever two ideas which seemed to be in opposition. The first idea was acceptance, the acceptance, totally without rancor, of life as it is, and men as they are: in the light of this idea, it goes without saying that injustice is a commonplace. But this did not mean that one could be complacent, for the second idea was of equal power: that one must never, in one’s own life, accept these injustices as commonplace but must fight them with all one’s strength. This fight begins, however, in the heart and it now had been laid to my charge to keep my own heart free of hatred and despair. This intimation made my heart heavy and, now that my father was irrecoverable, I wished that he had been beside me so that I could have searched his face for the answers which only the future would give me now." (From the text)

“Baldwin named for me the things you feel but couldn’t utter . . . articulated for the first time to white America what it meant to be American and a black American at the same time.” — Henry Louis Gates Jr.

“Written with bitter clarity and uncommon grace.” — Time

“A straight-from-the-shoulder writer, writing about the troubled problems of this troubled earth with an illuminating intensity.” — Langston Hughes, The New York Times Book Review

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You can find the book here – you only have to read the homonymous essay! It starts with the phrase: "On the 29th of July, in 1943, my father died."

Please read the essay in advance of the discussion.

James Baldwin (1924–1987) was a novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic, and one of America’s foremost writers. His writing explores palpable yet unspoken intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in Western societies, most notably in mid-twentieth-century America. A Harlem, New York, native, he primarily made his home in the south of France. He is the author of several novels and books of nonfiction, including Notes of a Native Son, Go Tell It on the Mountain, Giovanni’s Room, Another Country, If Beale Street Could Talk, The Fire Next Time, and The Evidence of Things Not Seen, and of the poetry collection Jimmy’s Blues.

Notes of a Native Son is considered a seminal work in African American literature, and continues to be widely read and studied today. It remains a powerful testament to the ongoing struggle for racial equality in America.

In addition to his writing, Baldwin was also a prominent public speaker and activist. He spoke out against racial injustice and discrimination, and was a close friend and ally of many prominent Civil Rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

Baldwin's writing continues to be widely read and studied today, and his contributions to American literature and social justice have had a lasting impact on generations of writers and activists.

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Part of our Meaning of Life series

We all seek meaning in our lives and dread futility. Philosophy doesn't provide facile answers, but the philosophical quest to make sense of our fleeting lives is one that we all share.

This group explores answers by looking not only philosophical writing, but also literature and film.