Born in 1924, James Baldwin was an important voice against racial discrimination in America. He criticised the society through his writings. He was an essayist, novelist and playwright whose works were mainly about bringing in light issues faced by African Americans and people of different sexual orientation. He struggled with poverty and discrimination in the primary years of his life, which made him hopeless until he met the famous painter, Beauford Delaney, who became his mentor.
He was also active in the civil rights struggle. Some of his best works are- The Fire Next Time, The Devil Finds Work, Nobody Knows my Name and Remember this House. He died in December 1987. Few of his most inspiring quotes are-
I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.
It is easier to deal with hurt and pain when you have someone to blame for it. He says that's why people prefer to cling to hatred for others. Once they let go of their hatred, they will have to face the bitter truth, one that doesn't make that feel good about themselves.
Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.
Children might not always be obedient. They might not follow when asked to do so or do what you ask them to do. Whatever you try to teach them, they might retain not even half of it. But what they definitely learn is your behaviour and actions. They imitate the people they are surrounded by especially their parents. So, a sure way of making them do something is set an example.
Love takes off the masks we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.
Most of us hide behind some kind of disguise to protect ourselves from others. We believe that if we show the world our real self, we will be mocked or humiliated. So, there is always some part of us that never see the light of the day, and instead, we put on a show that is more socially accepted. That is, until true love comes along. True love accepts us completely without any judgement. It makes us realise that we are lovable, even without any kind of decoration. It strips us of all the lies that we had to live within the society. It helps us be true to ourself.
Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
Whatever our past be, it is gone now. No matter how much you have suffered, you can't take it back. However, it is this suffering that will help you change your situation. Once you have faced a problem, you become enlightened as to deal with it, which makes you a wiser person.
People can cry much easier than they can change.
It is easier for us to regret our mistakes and express the same. However, it takes a firm resolve not to repeat the same mistake.
Neither love nor terror makes one blind: indifference makes one blind.
The only treatment that makes a person blind towards others is his indifference. Even hating someone means regarding them in some way. But when you become indifferent to someone, you don't give them credit for their achievements. More importantly, you don't acknowledge their struggle and by doing so denies the existence of the evils they struggled against.
Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition.
He says that home is not a particular place, is not just your house or your city or your country. Home is an unchanging condition which makes us feel secure, safe and happy. It is the state of being peaceful and whatever physical or mental setting help us achieve it, is our home.
If you're treated a certain way you become a certain kind of person. If certain things are described to you as being real they're real for you whether they're real or not.
The way others treat you reflects what they think of you. And if treated like that more often, their opinion of you starts becoming your self-image, your opinion of yourself. Soon, this opinion transcends from perspective to reality. What he is trying to tell us is be careful of whatever idea you consume. Whatever 'truths' are told to you, don't believe them blindly. Because our subconscious mind does not verify the things, it perceives and starts building its own reality.
Continue reading some of the best James Baldwin Quotes.....
The most dangerous creation of any society is the man who has nothing to lose.
A man who doesn't own anything that can be taken away from him has no reason to be afraid of anything. He is fearless, which makes him formidable. He can do whatever he wants- good or evil, without caring for anything.
Anyone who has ever struggled with poverty knows how extremely expensive it is to be poor.
Baldwin is referring to the time when poor were overcharged for things that are sub-par quality. Not just the money that is taken away from them, their mental strength and will to survive is constantly chipped away. They always worry about their finances, frailing health, scanty amenities etc. It's not just their financial health that takes a toll, but their physical, mental and emotional health takes a hit too.
All I know about music is that not many people ever really hear it. And even then, on the rare occasions when something opens within, and the music enters, what we mainly hear, or hear corroborated, are personal, private, vanishing evocations.
He is referring to our incapability of appreciating art with an unclouded judgement. He says that most of us are too superficial or busy to take notice of the subtle beauty and pleasures of art. Even if they do find something moving, it only stirs the areas of their own memory. They view the piece of art through their perspective and context. Baldwin wants them to explore a piece of art through the context of the artist too. It is through this process of observing art can we come closer to an artists struggle and emotions.
You have to decide who you are and force the world to deal with you, not with its idea of you.
You need to decide what kind of person you want to become. It would be best if you are committed to your values and aspirations. You need to hold your faith and belief unwavering and let others know the real you is not what they are expecting of you.
To accept one's past—one's history—is not the same thing as drowning in it; it is learning how to use it. An invented past can never be used; it cracks and crumbles under the pressures of life like clay in a season of drought.
You can't make your own past. You can't lie about it too, because lie comes apart eventually. You need to accept it and learn from it. Don't think accepting past means being consumed by it. It means to accept its outcomes and move forward with the lessons it taught you.
It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.
If the people in power turn a blind eye to a social issue, it becomes impossible to bring the issue to light. If evils in the society are not known by the government and the authority or are intentionally being disregarded, there will be no justice for the victims of this evil. Hence, indifference becomes the biggest enemy of justice.
The purpose of education…is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions.
The real purpose of education is not to laden the pupils with the bookish knowledge and experiences that have been passed down for generations. But through these teachings, they can navigate through the world and develop their own understanding of the world. It is to teach a young mind to explore his curiosity and based on his findings, gain a unique way of looking at the world.
People pay for what they do, and still more for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it very simply; by the lives they lead.
He is saying that people's actions are always accountable. He believes in the concept of karma in a way that the kind of person they become, brings with it similar kind of downsides which they have to endure. People always have to reap what they sow.
People can't, unhappily, invent their mooring posts, their lovers and their friends, any more than they can invent their parents. Life gives these and also takes them away and the great difficulty is to say 'Yes' to life.
We can't choose or create our friends and families. These are the ones who become the anchor in our lives, preventing us from getting carried away by negativity in tough times. These people are brought to us by life and it can take them away very easily too. Hence, it is very difficult to accept life and say yes to whatever it puts in front of us. However, we must.
A liberal: someone who thinks he knows more about your experience than you do.
He was warning the African American people to be careful with the liberals. Although they might seem to be on their side and might agree with them on many things, but that doesn't mean they have lived the same life as him and other people from his community. They should be careful not to let the liberals choose the agenda of their struggle.
You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.
You will believe that whatever problems you are facing right now, you are alone in that and it has never happened before. But if you would read, you will become aware of all other people and their stories who might have faced similar issues in their life. And their struggle can inspire us to fight too.
Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle. Love is a war. Love is growing up.
Love might be a simple concept but experiencing it comes with a lot of twists and turns. It might be above all our expectations and can take us by surprise. It is filled with ups and downs and is combat against all the evils that threaten to end it. While all this might seem scary but this is what helps a person as well as his love to grow.
Conclusion
In this article, we have read some of the best James Baldwin Quotes on Love, Justice and Change. Hope these were of interest!
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Co-author: Shreya Arya
A digital marketing enthusiast with experience in HR and hospital management, Shreya has wide interests ranging from philosophy, psychology to latest trends in automation. She is also a freelance content writer and loves lending beautiful words to ideas and feelings.
