Nobody Knows My Name by James Baldwin

I spent the day in one of my favorite places, Rehoboth Beach, and I finished Nobody Knows My Name by James Baldwin. Not necessarily a beach read but....

You know, reading James Baldwin’s thoughts are so liberating. This man was a thinker, and he had no trouble speaking his truth. (I totally admire his courage!)

In this collection of essays that was published in 1961, we get to read many of Baldwins’s candid thoughts on what it means to be an American, the American South and North at that time, inner cities, William Faulkner, and Richard Wright. Many of the essays made me read and reread and ponder.

If nothing else, these essays show how important it is to be a critical thinker and to know that once we write our thoughts and share them, we have no control over how they will be received or percieved. (Pay close attention to the chapters on Richard Wright.)

Here is an article from 1961 on Nobody Knows My Name that basically sums up this entire collection of essays.

I’m not through with James Baldwin yet, and as I soak up the sun tomorrow, I will be reading The Fire Next Time.....

I just love me some James Baldwin!

Happy Holiday Weekend, My People.......