🧵 2/2: #JamesBaldwin prophetically understood how the #AmericanDream itself was the engine of #inequality. It seems obvious now as we witness #capitalism in its last throes, but it was revolutionary in 1965.

"What is crucial here is that unless we can manage to accept, establish some kind of dialog between those people whom I pretend have paid for the American dream and those other people who have not achieved it, we will be in terrible trouble"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFeoS41xe7w

#blackhistorymonth

🧵 1/2: Today is the 60th anniversary of #JamesBaldwin vs. William Buckley debating at #Cambridge the question "Is the #AmericanDream at the expense of the #American Negro?"

I urge you to watch the full debate below, not only to witness #Baldwin's extraordinary oratory skills, his emotional intelligence & foresight, but also to suffer the pretentious, prejudiced & wildly unaware argument of Buckley, which explains the wilful laisser-faire attitude to #whitesupremacy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFeoS41xe7w

People and books that helped form who I am today:

#GrahamGreene
#JohnUpdike
#WalkerPercy
#kurtvonnegutjr
#JohnIrving
#RalphEllison
#HermannHesse
#LorenEiseley
#JamesBaldwin
#JohnSteinbeck
#RayBradbury
#FrankHerbert
#StrangerInAStrangeLand
#MalcomX
#KimStanleyRobinson
#JulianJaynes
#SomeTimesAGreatNotion
#WendellBerry
#WhatArePeopleFor
#EdwardAbbey
#DesertSolitaire
#TomRussell
#CarlHiaasen
#MichaelPollan
#BotanyOfDesire
#PattiSmith
#MichaelStipe
#DavidSedaris
#CormacMcCarthy

#justice #injustice #socialjustice #jamesbaldwin #blm #shitIfind