In 1957, the Civil Rights Movement had begun, and it needed support. Baldwin came from Europe to step up as a spokesperson. Later that year he traveled to the American South to witness firsthand how the promise of America was failing and he provided and preached hope for renewal (“James Baldwin”). During the movement, Baldwin became close friends with Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. However, Baldwin was not directly involved in either of their organizations. Baldwin was involved in other small organizations, but he never participated in sit-ins or boycotts. He was frequently ridiculed for his “lack of involvement” in the movement. On the contrary, Baldwin was very involved. He did not participate in any activities that could potentially have gotten him arrested. However, he did preach hope to the masses and he supported those who did participate in sit-ins and boycotts (Als 145). When Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968 Baldwin lost all hope for African-Americans. He then returned to Paris where he remained until his death in 1987 (Parni 7).

Baldwin returned to France, where he remained for the remainder of his life. The vast majority of Baldwin’s work revolved around and issue of Man verses society and Man verses himself. Like other writers of his era, Baldwin took life experiences and emotions and used them as his greatest source of information. Though opinions of James Baldwin’s work vary, he is clearly one of the more influential African-American writers of his time.

In 1946 ,James Baldwin took his first trip to Paris, France. Baldwin found Paris to be formative and at the same time frustrating. Paris had long been open to American writers and African-American artists, and Baldwin was glad to be away from the chaotic drive of New York City. One of the main reasons for his traveling to Paris was to escape the racism of America. Upon his arrival in Paris, Baldwin was disappointed when he realized that he had indeed escaped the racism he encountered in America, but now discovered a different version of it in Paris (Parni 2). At the same time he was on a drastic search for his own identity as a writer. While in Paris, Baldwin became close friends with many people of African decent and Algerian immigrants. He discovered a kinship with those people mainly due to the fact that were connected with him by the color of his skin. While in Paris, Baldwin was caught in many uncomfortable situations. Because of these situations and conflicts he felt he was the victim not only of cultural and language misunderstandings but also of racism. At one point, Baldwin attempted suicide over an incident that was quite trivial (Parni 3). After his attempted suicide, Baldwin traveled from Paris to Switzerland. Upon his arrival in Switzerland, he realized that he stood out even more than in Paris. He felt as though he was “too black” as well as isolated, and all of these insecurities constituted for his leaving Switzerland after only two weeks (Als 141). He returned to Paris and remained there until the Civil Rights Movement began in the United States.

James Baldwin was born on August 2, 1924 in Harlem, New York. He was an illegitimate child to Emma Berdis Jones. Soon after Baldwin’s birth his mother remarried. Baldwin’s step father, David Baldwin, was a preacher who had followed the Great Migration North from his home in New Orleans in the 1920. Together, they had eight other children. James Baldwin never knew his biological father and his relationship with his stepfather was arguable, even violent. David Baldwin was an unforgiving

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