Few black thinkers had a more profound impact on America than James Baldwin. As a writer, he’s never gotten as much recognition as more visible figures like Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X. A new documentary by director Raoul Peck and narrated by Samuel L. Jackson aims to bring Baldwin back into the public eye. It will be called “I Am Not Your Negro.”
Born in Harlem in the 1920s, Baldwin’s lucid writing brought him into the company of MLK, Malcolm X and other African American leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. The documentary uses James Baldwin’s own words for narration, taken from the only 30 pages written of his final book when he passed away in 1987. It looks to be a riveting, intense look at racial politics in America.