James Baldwin: Der Zeuge (The Witness)

On November 5, 2024, a new U.S. president will be elected. Of course, it’s a hypothetical question as to what James Baldwin (1924–1987) would have said about the selection of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, but that doesn’t make it any less interesting. Baldwin, who became famous with Giovanni’s Room and The Fire Next Time, and made it to the cover of Time Magazine, was Black and gay, living in a society that was both racist and homophobic. And today? In the times of Black Lives Matter and the anti-gender agenda of the Republicans, his work (unfortunately) remains relevant well beyond the literary canon. On August 2, 2024, the great author, whom some called a prophet, would have turned 100.

Author and journalist René Aguigah (Thomas Mann Fellow 2023) has written an informative and elegantly composed portrait of the renowned American intellectual’s journey, from his humble beginnings in Harlem to fleeing everyday racism in Paris, and his rapid rise as an author and sought-after speaker. Today’s event in the Bruckner Foyer of the Renaissance Theater will primarily focus on Baldwin’s view of the United States, his friendship with Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, and his political engagement. René Aguigah will discuss this with journalist Alice Hasters (Thomas Mann Fellow 2023).