The American writer and civil rights icon James Baldwin is one of the most celebrated literary voices in the US, known for works that confronted racial and social issues.
His works, from novels and essays to plays and poems, addressed the Black American experience, as well as topics of sexuality and masculinity, and he was a prominent voice in the fight for civil rights.
Many years after his death, Baldwin’s writings continue to be widely read and he is considered one of the most important writers of the 20th century.
He has now become the latest figure to be celebrated as a “Doodle” on the Google homepage, an honor reserved for important historical figures and anniversaries.
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Who is James Baldwin?
Baldwin was born in New York on August 2, 1924, and was a writer, playwright, and a vocal figure in the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
He was one of the first Black writers to feature queer themes in his work. Perhaps the most notable example was his 1956 novel, Giovanni’s Room, which stirred controversy among critics.
Baldwin grew up in Harlem, where he fell in love with writing while still in high school.
His first book, Go Tell It on the Mountain, a semi-autobiographical novel, was published in 1953 after 12 years of work.
At this time, Baldwin published his writings in periodicals, including The Harlem Ghetto, a commentary on the socioeconomic conditions in the New York neighborhood where he grew up.
Several of his writings were brought to TV and the big screen, such as his novel If Beale Street Could Talk, which was a critical success.
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Baldwin moved to France in 1948, where he wrote his acclaimed collection of essays, Notes of a Native Son.
He returned to the US in 1957 and put his influence into the Civil Rights Movement, becoming friends with Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.
He became deeply involved in the movement, with his novels from this time, including The Fire Next Time (1963) and Blues for Mister Charlie (1964), focusing on racial issues and oppression faced by African Americans.
What was the cause of James Baldwin’s death?
Baldwin died at the age of 63 on December 1, 1987, at his home in St Paul de Vence, France.
His death came after a brief battle with stomach cancer.
He was buried in the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, near his hometown, New York.
Why is James Baldwin in Google Doodle?
An illustration of Baldwin was added to the site’s homepage in recognition of the 26th anniversary of the posthumous publication of his Collected Essays in 1998.
It also falls on the first day of Black History Month, a celebration started to look back upon the past, recognize the ongoing struggle for racial justice, and acknowledge the achievements of African Americans.
The piece, by artist Jon Key, depicts Baldwin in a purple shirt writing at a desk against a black and purple background.
In a statement on the Google site, Key said, “With the work I create, I’m trying to manifest spaces and community structures imbued with truth, pride, and love – principles that I believe are exemplified by Baldwin’s texts and life.”
Baldwin’s niece, Darlene Burnett, said she was “grateful” for the recognition shown to her uncle “in celebration of Black History Month and our centennial celebration of his life.”
She added, “Decades after his passing, it remains clear that Jimmy’s extensive body of work retains its impact eternally breathing in spaces that will be moved by the gravity of his intellect and familiarize the power of his words for generations to come”.
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