Poetry of Revelation

The Depth of Baldwin’s Scars

James Baldwin moved to Paris in 1948 to flee racism in America. He returned to America in 1957 and began a journey that many of us would not have the strength to endure.

You journeyed back to a land that so many times mocked and scorned you. Coming home to a home that never was and from your birth, mourned you. Seeking to reconnect to your melanated kin, left your soul scarred because of the loss of three men.

First, Medgar was gunned down in 1963. A field secretary that worked tirelessly for the NAACP.

Next, Malcolm was murdered in 1965. The “by any means necessary” warrior that just wanted our people to thrive.

Then, Martin departed this life in 1968. A casualty of bigotry, racism, and hate.

The loss of these three men who were on different paths to the same goal, scarred James Baldwin to the core of his soul.

I was truly touched by the fact that James Baldwin was friends with these three American legends. James befriended Medgar, but never joined the NAACP. Malcolm X was a member of the Nation of Islam, but James Baldwin never became a Muslim. Dr. Martin Luther King was a Baptist minister, but James Baldwin did not embrace Christian ideology. The connection James shared with each of these men transcended what many people argue about today. I love reading James Baldwin’s prolific books and he was truly a gift to us!