Not only was I not born to be a slave; I was not born to hope to become the equal of the… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share Image
It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have. — James A. Baldwin Copy Share Image
In order to have a conversation with someone you must reveal yourself. — James A. Baldwin Copy Share Image
The real victim of bigotry is the white man who hides his weakness under his myth of superiority. — James A. Baldwin Copy Share Image
The white man discovered the Cross by way of the Bible, but the black man discovered the Bible by way of the… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share Image
Our dehumanization of the Negro then is indivisible from our dehumanization of ourselves; the loss of our own identity is the price… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share Image
If one cannot risk oneself, then one is simply incapable of giving. And, after all, one can give freedom only by setting… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share Image
To be born in a free society and not to be born free is to be born into a lie. To be… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share Image
The miracle is that some have stepped out of the rags of the Republic's definition to assume the great burden and glory… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share Image
Any honest examination of the national life proves how far we are from the standard of human freedom with which we began.… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share Image
Ask any Mexican, any Puerto Rican, any black man, any poor person - ask the wretched how they fare in the halls… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share Image
If one really wishes to know how justice is administered in a country, one does not question the policemen, the lawyers, the… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share Image
Words like 'freedom', 'justice' and 'democracy' are not common concepts; on the contrary, they are rare. People are not born knowing what… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share Image
It is a very grave matter to be forced to imitate a people for whom you know-which is the price of your… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share Image
What passes for identity in America is a series of myths about one's heroic ancestors. It's astounding to me, for example, that… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share Image
I've always believed that you can think positive just as well as you can think negative. — James A. Baldwin Copy Share
The white man discovered the Cross by way of the Bible, but the black man discovered the Bible by way of the Cross. — James A. Baldwin Copy Share
The American ideal of sexuality appears to be rooted in the American ideal of masculinity. This idea has created cowboys and Indians, good guys… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share
Voyagers discover that the world can never be larger than the person that is in the world; but it is impossible to foresee this,… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share
We take our shape, it is true, within and against that cage of reality bequeathed us at our birth; and yet it is precisely… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share
The American ideal is, after all, that everyone should be as much alike as possible. — James A. Baldwin Copy Share
James Joyce is right about history being a nightmare-- but it may be that nightmare from which no one can awaken. People are trapped… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share
I think Americans are terrified of feeling anything. I never met a people more infantile in my life. — James A. Baldwin Copy Share
Unless a writer is extremely old when he dies, in which case he has probably become a neglected institution, his death must always be… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share
An identity is questioned only when it is menaced, as when the mighty begin to fall, or when the wretched begin to rise, or… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share
White people will have quite enough to do in learning how to accept and love themselves and each other, and when they have achieved… — James A. Baldwin Copy Share
A devotion to humanity is... too easily equated with a devotion to a Cause, and Causes, as we know, are notoriously bloodthirsty. — James A. Baldwin Copy Share
Most people... find a disorientating mismatch between the long-term nature of their liabilities and the increasingly short-term nature of their assets. — James A. Baldwin Copy Share
