James Baldwin (1924-1987) emerged from humble beginnings in Harlem, New York, to become one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Born to a single mother and later raised by a strict Baptist minister stepfather, Baldwin discovered his passion for writing early in life. As a teenager, he served as a youth minister and showed his literary promise while attending DeWitt Clinton High School, where he worked on the school magazine alongside future photographer Richard Avedon.

After graduating in 1942, Baldwin took various jobs to support his family of seven younger siblings before moving to Greenwich Village to pursue his writing career. In 1948, he made a transformative decision to relocate to Paris, which gave him the perspective to write more freely about his personal and racial background. This move began his life as a "transatlantic commuter" between France and the United States, leading to his breakthrough novel "Go Tell It on the Mountain" (1953), a semi-autobiographical work about growing up in Harlem.

Baldwin's literary contributions expanded to include groundbreaking essays, novels, and plays that fearlessly addressed race, sexuality, and religion in America. Works such as "Giovanni's Room" (1955), "Nobody Knows My Name" (1961), and "The Fire Next Time" (1963) established him as a leading voice in the Civil Rights Movement. Though he never considered himself a spokesperson, Baldwin's mission was to "bear witness to the truth," which he accomplished through his unflinching examination of the Black experience in America. His later works reflected a growing disillusionment with racial progress, particularly following the assassinations of civil rights leaders in the 1960s. Baldwin spent his final years teaching at American universities before passing away at his home in St. Paul de Vence, France, leaving behind a profound literary legacy that continues to resonate with readers today.