James Baldwin/

James Baldwin
From Matthew Roy

In James Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son gives insight into the lives between lower class citizens to the upper class citizens. The issue of race between the blacks and whites of society were thoroughly discussed in his book in the time of 1955. During the Civil Rights Movement Baldwin discusses the lives of the African American population living in a civilization that focused on racial discrimination. Through his book, he described the impact and possible future changes in years to come and the chaos still erupted in times ahead. One of James’ most known quotes exclaims, “All over Harlem, Negro boys and girls are growing into stunted maturity, trying desperately to find a place to stand; and the wonder is not that so many are ruined but that so many survive.” Baldwin’s tough lifestyle as an African American writer helped him use personal experience to express his activism and attitude on society through writings. One of his personal experienced was set in a restaurant where he was given poor customer service because he was an African American. Acts like this help him to express prejudice through analysis and understand how it forms. As an activist, James Baldwin helped to spread his wisdom and expressions to bring up the chaos and calamity of racial prejudice.