James Baldwin: Throw shade in the shade

James Arthur Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American novelist, playwright, and activist. Baldwin explored what it meant to be both Black and Gay in America in the mid 20th century. Some would say James Baldwin was decades ahead of the country in his understanding of race, class, and sexuality. His writings viewed America with a critical eye with the belief the country could never move forward without true acknowledgement and reconciliation of a racist past.