James Baldwin Collection

James Baldwin (1924-1987) spent most of his life speaking out on the issues of race relations and racial discrimination in America. Through numerous bestselling novels, plays, and essays written during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, Baldwin addressed themes of racial and sexual oppression by connecting many of his personal experiences to national and international issues. Although Baldwin spent the bulk of his career living and working in Europe, mainly France and Turkey, he often returned to the United States to take part in events surrounding the American Civil Rights Movement. Help us transcribe the personal objects and letters in this collection that document Baldwin’s life as an expatriate writer and activist in the second half of the twentieth century.