James Baldwin: Public Intellectual

This film biography of James Baldwin's life captures the passion of his beliefs with stirring excerpts from his novels and striking archival footage dating from the Harlem Renaissance through to the author's commentary on civil rights to his writing retreats in Istanbul and Europe. Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Amiri Baraka, Ishmael Reed, and William Styron provide insight as the program skillfully links excerpts from Baldwin's major works to different historical stages in black-white dialogue. 87 minutes.

In 1960, James Baldwin talks with Nathan Cohen (film/theatre critic and broadcaster with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) about the place of Black people in American society. Aired December 11, 1960 on CBC-TV's Encounter. 27:14 minutes.

Interview between Kenneth B. Clark (noted psychologists) and James Baldwin. Baldwin covers his upbring in Harlem, as well as racism in America. This interview took place soon after the gathering between Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and a small group of noted African Americans, led by Baldwin to discuss the state of race relations in American. It was aired June 24, 1963. 24:59 minutes.

This video presents a debate between African American author James Baldwin and American political theorist William F. Buckley on the theme 'Has the American dream been achieved at the expense of the American negro?' Release Date 1965. 56 minutes.

James Baldwin talks about the Black experience in America during the Civil Rights movement at a Caribbean club in London in 1968. 18 minutes. For the complete 44 minutes of this lecture, see Baldwin's Nigger.

James Baldwin has an open discussion of racial prejudice, civil rights activism and policing. Date aired - May 16, 1969. 17:09 minutes.

Then 47-year-old novelist James Baldwin is interviewed by 28-year-old poet Nikki Giovanni in a two-part presentation of WNET’s “SOUL!.” The wide-ranging conversation explores Black life in America, the struggle for racial justice and evolving gender roles, while also offering insight into the work and artistic process of two literary icons. Taped in London in 1971. 58:13 minutes.

After the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama on September 15, 1963, James Baldwin spoke to an overflowing crowd at the New York Community Church, on September 25, 1963. In this speech Baldwin refers to six children being killed in the bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, however, it was four children; Addie Mae Collins, Carol Denise McNair, Carole Rosamond Robertson, and Cynthia Dionne Wesley. For information on the bombing see National Park Service and FBI sites. 40:43 minutes.

Classic conversation between James Baldwin and Margaret Mead from 1971. 105 minutes.