35 Poignant James Baldwin Quotes That Are Especially Timely Today

Decades after his 1987 death, our society remains grateful to James Baldwin for his incredible literary impact. As a gay Black man in America, from the 1950s to early '80s, Baldwin's masterful prose reflecting on race, homosexuality, social justice, and religion gave way to countless classic novels, essays, poems, and short stories. (Think: Go Tell It on the Mountain, Giovanni's Room and If Beale Street Could Talk). They also resulted in an incredible amount of wise quotes that are still relevant in 2020 amidst calls for change and equality in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. From his musings on love to oppression and forgiveness, we've gathered some of James Baldwin's famous quotes.