James Baldwin Shows We Have More to Learn About Liberty for All

James Baldwin was one of the greatest American writers, a civil rights activist, and someone who stood up for Black liberty. He was not a libertarian, but those interested in liberty should take heed of his words and the way he tackled the issues surrounding the Black community in the United States. 

I wish what Baldwin wrote could today be looked at as historical, but it is indeed something that must be read in the context of what Black Americans are still going through, a guidebook on how to have true equality for all today. That’s why I was so glad to bring the words of James Baldwin, and some readings that are relevant to the topics he discusses, forward for discussion in a recent Timeless reading group. The conversation that followed showed that the topic was something that classical liberals were keen to discuss, and many of the problems Baldwin brought up are issues that our readers are also worried about in their own lives. 

We began our Timeless VRG week with the first essay of Baldwin’s book, The Fire Next Time, entitled “My Dungeon Shook: Letter to My Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation.” This reading struck a chord with many of the VRG participants, especially because it was a letter to a young Black boy who has to encounter society through the eyes of those who still saw him as a problem to be solved, rather than an individual who is equal. The two main themes tackled were, first, a realization of the immense burden that was seemingly put on the nephew: to understand why white America treated him that way. 

The second theme was the claim that black emancipation is intrinsically tied to white emancipation. Black people, Baldwin believed, cannot not be free until white people free themselves of their preconceived notions and an identity based at least in part on the fact that they simply were not black. Until white Americans were free, black Americans could never truly be free themselves. Instead, they would simply continue to be faced with a system built on that premise. 

The thoughts and experiences outlined in the next essay in The Fire Next Time, entitled “Down at the Cross: Letters from a Region in my Mind.” resonated with some participants. One passage was particularly discussed from the book:

Next, the group went back around fifty years in time by discussing Frederick Douglass’ deeply personal story of emancipation from slavery. Douglass was another prolific Black writer about the issues facing Black Americans. Both Douglass and Baldwin are attempting to identify how to end racial unrest in America., 

These more historical texts provided context for  reading more modern articles grappling with on what is the problem and how to solve it: “About Systemic Racism” by Michael Tanner and “Black Liberty Matters” by Jacob T. Levy. These pieces gave participants an opportunity to discuss more modern interpretations of what the challenges were in finding a more equitable America in the age of Black Lives Matter and the possible continuation of systemic racism through various institutions. 

Participants were eager to discuss the idea Tanner put forward: that racism isn’t necessarily a result of personal prejudice but of institutional failure that people might not even realize they are taking part in, and Levy’s idea that sometimes the idea of liberty can be used to incorrectly justify division rather than do what it is supposed to do, which is liberate and empower. 

It was interesting to note at the end of the week that all the readings really were speaking to one another: each author, in their own way, was talking about equality and liberty, something that all classical liberals ought to be fighting for. The dignity of every human being is shielded, according to classical liberalism, by free markets and the ability to flourish. Without equality, and institutions that are built without systemic barriers that are adopted from one generation to another, this reality can hardly be secured for every American. 

Overall, the participants showed a lot of interest in the work of James Baldwin himself, relishing in his excellent writing in his book, The Fire Next Time. We all admitted that it was sometimes a hard read, sometimes an emotional read, and sometimes a read that made us relate and understand, and other times made us think more deeply about things we thought we already had an opinion on. That’s what great books, and great thinkers, do. 

Baldwin still stands among the best debaters, authors, and civil rights activists to have ever lived. The fact that we can still learn from him, especially as classical liberals who are always looking to make the world a better place for each individual, is truly a privilege.