James Baldwin - The Struggle of The Artist (1969)

JAMES BALDWIN | THE STRUGGLE
PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY NATHANIAL MONTAGUE | NARRATED BY JAMES BALDWIN
James Baldwin has become a black prophet of our time, one of the first to be listened to-if not always heard-by white men. He doesn't look like a prophet. He is frail and slight, with an intense exaggeration of a face. "James Baldwin is a little man, physically," writes Kenneth Clark, "with tremendous emotional and intellectual power. He radiates a nervous sensitive involvement with all aspects of his environment . . . one has the impression that he is incapable of communicating anything other than the total truth which he feels and thinks at that particular time." To communicate, his words are carefully selected, savored, deliberately delivered, then allowed to fall in bursts. They are his weapons of truth, his descriptions of reality. It is a difficult language he speaks; his dictionary is himself, his grammar is his life. Such a language must be self taught. He uses it to speak to a people "to-tally unlettered in the language of the heart; totally distrustful of whatever can not be touched; panic stricken at the very first hint of pain. . ." And yet, he says later on this record, to speak further to these people, ". . pain which signals an ache is a pain which can save your life." It is part of his function as a writer, he has said, to speak for those who can not; he also writes for those who have not always been able to listen. Here on this record is a personal description of growing up, charted riot by age nor by marks on a wall, but by self-knowledge arduously learned. The graphic design of his life has been sketched, in part in his own books with his own pen. James Baldwin was born in 1924 in Harlem Hospital, the oldest of nine children, the first son of a proud and bitter and rigid clergyman from New Orleans. David Baldwin died in 1943 when his son was nineteen; at fourteen he had already become a Holy Roller preacher in Har-lem's storefront churches and was taking no small pride in being a better draw than his father. He graduated from De Witt Clinton High School in 1942 he was editor of the Literary Magaziiie there and, already master of the spoken, learning the ways of the written word. The next year was the year his father died; the year he left home and began to work at becoming a writer. The next five years were spent living in Greenwich Village; by day working as a handy-man, office boy, dish washer, waiter; by night, writing. Reviews and essays appeared in the Nation, New Leader, Commentary. He met Richard Wright, who helped him win, in 1945, the Eugene K. Saxton Memorial Award. In 1948 he won a Rosenwald Foundation grant and went to Paris, where he learned that, an alien in his own coun-try, he was to be at home in strange lands. The books began appearing: "Go Tell It on the Mountain," "Notes of a Native Son," "Giovanni's Room," "Another Country,' "Nobody Knows My Name," "The Fire Next Time," "Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone"-and the plays, "The Amen Corner" and "Blues for Mr. Charlie." James Baldwin. They call him a black writer. He is a writer who is black. And the problem, he says, is white. He writes about what it's like to be a black man in America, and, more, about what it's like to be a human being. He writes with love and with sorrow, with anger and with despair, with honesiy and with eloquence. And we listen and, perhaps, begin to hear.
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[@najjademming8056]

“It is time to recognize that the major effort of our country is not to change a situation, but to seem to have done it.”

[@casteretpollux]

Still true for some. Not for all. The seeming to has gone on for too long.

[@thegeneralstrike6747]

One can never get enough of James Baldwin. Not only a Superiorly Gifted Protean Skilled Writer, a highly Astute Philosopher with an ability to examine life omnipotently a skill which few in modern times have even any desire to. I beleive and learned from his ability to express ANGER and RAGE that has no apology. His intellect being so autonomous amongst droves of detached zombies he expresses his anger knowing that all our emotions are acceptable, it is your reaction to your emotions that can be harmful or harnessed for greatness! James Baldwin is nearly perfect example of a public speaker. Clear, funny, emotional, and highly thought provoking. James Baldwin is one of the COOLEST HUMANS I have ever had the pleasure of reading, listening, or watching.

[@jordannerdboy4117]

There is a great film documentary on him on KZbin I fell in love with the man when I saw it

[@happygucci5094]

No word of a lie spoken- he is my favorite Uncle ever… 💗

[@JingleJangleJam]

Thanks, I always considered Baldwin a Socratic thinker, and I disagree with this theme commonly discussed online that in order to be Socratic, one needs to detach themselves from the feelings of either pain or anger, of passion and love. Baldwin's Socratic questioning, was not an interrogation of Athens, but of Washington. His question : What is America? Who is it for? Why does it exist? Where will it go? Benjamin Jowett wrote, ''Most of the so-called English Dialogues are but poor imitations of Plato, which fall very far short of the original. The breath of conversation, the subtle adjustment of question and answer, the lively play of fancy, the power of drawing characters, are wanting in them. But the Platonic dialogue is a drama as well as a dialogue, of which Socrates is the central figure, and there are lesser performers as well:-the insolence of Thrasymachus, the anger of Callicles and Anytus, the patronizing style of Protagoras, the self-consciousness of Prodicus and Hippias, are all part of the entertainment. To reproduce this living image the same sort of effort is required as in translating poetry. '' when translating the poetry of Plato, that drama plays such an integral role that without the wide spanning of emotions contained in the dialogues with Socrates the thinking too would have been lost to us!

[@mvj1153]

🔥🔥🔥..Thank you for being alive on this earth James!

[@l.w.paradis2108]

Listening to this once per day.

[@yushar.2993]

"Live, Live all you can. It's a mistake not to." (Henry James). 5:23

[@Zobot1000]

Poet, visionary, and teacher.

[@08CARIB]

I've read excerpts of this , but hearing it is so much more powerful. And as a bonus it's just what I needed to hear, thank you for posting!

[@OEFarredondo]

08CARIB I got tears from hearing this guy.

[@l.w.paradis2108]

Back again. I need to hear this every week. It's my church.

[@pendalum7543]

0:50 shattered dreams sample

[@samm9101]

that beat started playing as soon as he said those two words in my head

[@joelumumbankrumah7547]

The struggle by James Baldwin. Dude thanks for posting it.

[@emilymaleahtench9409]

I can never listen to these words of his, too many times in my life.

[@gwattsrealestate]

"Unlettered in The Language of The Heart" 💓 Well Said. James Baldwin and Langston Hughes Are Ambassadors of the Revolution.

[@emilymaleahtench9409]

I stumbled across this recording years ago, and love the title and artwork on this one the most... I'll never tire of hearing these words. ♡

[@pamelasnow3179]

"doing something I must do" (write)..."the poets (by which I mean all artists) are the only ones who know the truth about us"...

[@kynroebri4347]

Another GREAT one ☝️

[@reymanasesrestaurado4733]

Love this greeting from Dominican republic but originally from Africa if i trace my roots.

[@chriskimbell5884]

So good. So true. I love James Baldwin.

[@BuddhaLove77]

If we walk in the light respecting our dignity we are going to be alright. Thank you for posting !!!!!

[@VIdishaSpeaks3]

YES....& always stay humbled

[@fred5nyc]

So true.

[@skyjuiceification]

wishful thinking.

[@mrkool9009]

Not wishful thinking but the truth. We have no other choice

[@js2010ish]

Thank you for posting. A brilliant human.

[@taylorchristina5309]

"The Struggle" appreciate you with this one!

[@heathertea2704]

ON POINT! ON POINT! ON POINT!💞💖💞 👏👏👌

[@OEFarredondo]

Thank you so much

[@l.w.paradis2108]

Love this channel.

[@rasublaque105]

these words are prolific

[@karlhalwani1752]

My nigga Earl sent me here

[@user-ry9dv4ze1o]

yeahhh

[@dr.m-beenzunamwiinganakazw9106]

well articulated....kudos

[@casteretpollux]

Recently banned artist Philip Guston Im sure must have read this and he also struggled for the same thing. He crossed his Rubicon at a stage in his life when the state of the world forced him to. Great humans in their different ways.

[@queenejames8279]

Thank you.

[@prcty]

A really Great Post

[@LSturdy]

Thanks !

[@mikethomas2641]

Tremendous.

[@eastlynburkholder3559]

We sre physically bitn and ee are born really when we learn who we are. The physical journey through the birth canal is a journey quicker than our journey ti becime who we really are.

[@worshipperofnoidols7972]

All safety is an illusion!!!

[@griffinjohnson6268]

4:39 5:11 9:11

[@privatethoughts85]

@28:43 "the lesser of two evils" 🤯 Politicians still use that same talking point to gaslight us and we are still, collectively, falling for it. The illusion that one political candidate is the "lesser of the two evils" negating that it still makes both evil. It's like having to choose between slavery or death when neither are ideal. When Slow Joe said "if you dont vote for me, you're not Black" he was saying that he was the lesser of two evils aka "I won't help you but the other guy will hurt you". The 1970's (and prior), 2020 and now only 4 short years later, history is blatantly repeating itself. At this point they're just playing in our faces. Everyone's in on the joke except the Black collective, even though we're the punchline/butt of the joke. When people show you who they are, believe them, the first time.

[@lovelyword410]

Ok so some things have been on my mind and this topic just brought it out. Thank God for this beautiful Earth, life, and each other. I confess my sins not because I want to but to ask for forgiveness. Now, I just heard about this cop lady. She didn't piss me off but I bet she is what I think she is. Anywho, look if you had such a problem before; to why was this handled differently and as soon as you were notified that this is a fellow police officer. Why didn't you act accordingly and welcome them to the neighborhood. CatchingThieves or criminals aren't the only thing you've been trained to do. It's women like you that others fear. No, you don't need to feel safer because this person was just doing her job. Listen to me. You all let an officer go that was a real gem to this world. Nation people voters, don't allow this to happen. She was bold and no humility to her so you know Christian is out of the picture. She sounds quick wit, just not in a way that I would respect. Legally he has so many options yet hell probably get a hearty hand shake maybe a bonus and he'll be fine with that maybe. But you, miss officer, that's how it looks. I still don't have the whole story but I bet Republicans have a different take on it from a blonde who looks like anorexic she-less he.

[@trindinwright6374]

I come back to this very frequently, to further condition myself to better understand myself. To understand what I got to do with my pen. Here’s this: what he’s speaking on is the one that comes that pierces through the noise of entertainment, if we recognize the Bible is but a story and we live in the age of Yahweh because which leads into our faith that revelations is to come, because we so desperately and helplessly give way to the preconceived notion of its inevitability. When really all that must be done is a powerful enough story that creates within us a movement to deciding our own outcome. We have seen Gods die before and their stories change of that which was once powerful, look no further than the most common example Zeus. At a time, you could be killed for refusing to worship him or other god’s, now they’re like him like Yahweh could be tossed and relegated to the toothless position, that position being widely accepted as a myth. If we see, what they did not, that too many of us have bought into this current myth and the price we pay for the purchase, is the giving up of everything, not just of themselves, but of the World. They give up their children’s future, by indoctrinating them to the story, which as they believe the world is ending and they’re behaving like it. As the Poets, Artists, are the ones, who challenge these stories, fully Knowing the ultimate price they must pay. The ones who speak out against the story of race like a MLK or Malcolm X, the activist/poet, they knew their price and they accepted their purpose. This only hope he speaks of looks at the current time we face. Dealing with our existential crises that we’re experiencing like climate change, nuclear war, the eroding of democracy. Now is the time, the Artist must stand up and give their report and cultivate through that, a story, a compelling and gripping enough story that shocks the people out of their darkness and changes the perspectives, thus Changing the World.

[@izievideos]

6.00

[@EBad-ko8zy]

I just thought.....Where is "OutCast"? they had been my thought to be the persons to bring to the "stage" the movies about persons like James B., Marcus Garvin, etc....the Truth try ellerson on Screen...

[@rasublaque105]

is that Mr Miles Davis on cover, he looks like Lil Wayne

[@taylorchristina5309]

@@fred5nyc >> now freddie that wasn't nice.. 😱😉

[@rasublaque105]

@@fred5nyc who is it name them all

[@LaptopLarry330]

They are all different drawings of James Baldwin.

[@rasublaque105]

@@LaptopLarry330 G.L.O. good looking out

[@skyjuiceification]

damn ur an idiot!

[@mmarone333]

The record is playing at a slightly faster speed than was recorded. Making his voice a little higher than it is. Having listened to hours of Baldwin’s speeches and interviews online it’s a bit grating and off-putting to not hear his wonderful, commanding and sonorous voice as it was.

[@christophehorton1070]

Homosexuality cures all says the Rockefellers's Baldwin.

[@ghy518]

What does that mean?

[@jordannerdboy4117]

He had the most gorgeous voice and was so so talented. 🎉