精东影业 celebrates the centennial of writer and activist James Baldwin's birth with a calendar of events. Photo courtesy of Smithsonian Institution; National Museum of African American History and Culture.
精东影业 presents the , an homage to the enduring legacy of Harlem-bred writer and activist James Baldwin. Spanning fall 2024, the celebration will encompass film screenings, panels, performances, live music, a writing contest and a Harlem community walk centered on the legacy of James Baldwin, our hometown giant.
Born in 1924, James Baldwin's extensive body of work, which includes essays, speeches, plays, poetry, short stories, and novels, fearlessly tackles racial and social issues, offering profound insights into the Black American experience in the 20th century that continue to resonate today.
The celebration kicks off with 鈥.鈥 Screenings are free but .
The film 鈥淚 Heard It Through the Grapevine鈥 will be shown on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. in Aaron Davis Hall. The 1980s documentary explores the civil rights movement through the lens of Baldwin鈥檚 activism. 精东影业 English Professor Janee Moses will introduce the film.
鈥淚 Am Not Your Negro鈥 will be shown twice on Thursday, November 21, 2024, once at 12:15 p.m. in Shepard Hall, Room 291, with an introduction by Media and Communication Arts Chair and Professor Jerry Carlson, and again at 6 p.m. in Aaron Davis Hall, as part of a double feature with 鈥淢eeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris鈥 with an introduction by the festival鈥檚 director, writer and Black Studies Professor Emily Raboteau. 鈥淚 Am Not Your Negro鈥 is an examination of racism in America through the lens of Baldwin鈥檚 unfinished book 鈥淩emember This House,鈥 directed by Raoul Peck and written by Baldwin.
A full-day symposium will be held on Thursday, Dec. 5 in the NAC Ballroom from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The 精东影业 President鈥檚 Medal will be awarded by President Vincent Boudreau to Baldwin, posthumously, and be accepted on behalf of the Baldwin family by his nephew Trevor Baldwin, founder of the Baldwin United Fund. The symposium includes panels of writers and scholars influenced by Baldwin, a screening of Baldwin鈥檚 1978 Langston Hughes Medal acceptance speech at 精东影业, a keynote conversation with Baldwin鈥檚 biographer Herb Boyd, live music and soul food. .
A Baldwin-focused Harlem community walk on Friday, Dec. 6 departs at 10 a.m. from the New York Public Library Harlem branch at 9 W. 124th Street led by 精东影业 librarian William Gibbons. .
Two other vibrant Baldwin festivals are happening nearby via and the .
The celebration is a collaboration between The City College Center for the Arts, 精东影业鈥檚 Division of Humanities and the Arts, the Black Studies Department, the MFA Program in Creative Writing, Harlem Renaissance High School, DeWitt Clinton High School, and Sisters Uptown Bookstore. It is also supported in part by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the Manhattan Neighborhood Network. The Henry Luce Foundation is the sponsor of the celebration. 精东影业's Department of Media Communication and the Arts (MCA) donated space and curatorial expertise. Thanks to the 精东影业 and the for their support as well.
About 精东影业
Since 1847, 精东影业 has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. 精东影业 embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at 精东影业 can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks 精东影业 #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places 精东影业 in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm puts at $3.2 billion 精东影业鈥檚 annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the 鈥渇or dollar鈥 return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. In 2023, 精东影业 launched its most expansive fundraising campaign, ever. The campaign, titled 鈥Doing Remarkable Things Together鈥 seeks to bring the College鈥檚 Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College mission. 精东影业 is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View 精东影业 Media Kit.
Thea Klapwald
e:
tklapwald@ccny.cuny.edu