Rod and Karen are joined by comedian Randolph Terrance to review a film based on James Baldwin’s unfinished work, “I Am Not Your Negro.”
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SMR 121: I Am Not Your Negro
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The 30 pages of the book Baldwin would’ve finished is only the jump-off. The quotations come from a range of his published work, not just that unpublished book-in-progress.
I would push back a bit on Randolph Terrance’s comment that the reason it was hard to remember Lorraine Hansberry’s name is that she died. After all, the documentary centers on Baldwin making sure that the memory of Medgar Evers, MLK, and Malcolm X will live on. And I appreciate your point, Rod, that erasing women again could easily happen and is likely happening as we speak.
Also, I have taught 2 seminars on Baldwin’s work, and it really is the case that his depiction of women is quite limited, whether we’re talking about his fiction, essays, or his plays. Baldwin informs ALL of my work, but when it comes to women, he reminds me that it’s important that a range of voices are amplified. He is unquestionably brilliant, and I often treat the American Library edition of his nonfiction as a bible, but no one can be everything. So, your point about people needing to make sure that a wider range of folk get the podium is crucial!