James Baldwin

children listen elder old imitate

“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.”

― James Baldwin (1924-1987)

change face

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

― James Baldwin (1924-1987)

freedom give take want

“Freedom is not something that anybody can be given. Freedom is something people take, and people are as free as they want to be”

― James Baldwin (1924-1987)

art confess artist story vomit

“All art is a kind of confession, more or less oblique. All artists, if they are to survive, are forced, at last, to tell the whole story; to vomit the anguish up.”

― James Baldwin (1924-1987)

believe say do hypocrisy

“I can't believe what you say, because I see what you do.”

― James Baldwin (1924-1987)

paradox education conscious examine

“The paradox of education is precisely this - that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated. ”

― James Baldwin (1924-1987)

dangerous creation society man lose

“The most dangerous creation of any society is the man who has nothing to lose.”

― James Baldwin (1924-1987)

love terror blind ignorance

“Neither love nor terror makes one blind: indifference makes one blind.”

― James Baldwin (1924-1987)

confusion luxury young

“Confusion is a luxury which only the very, very young can possibly afford and you are not that young anymore”

― James Baldwin (1924-1987)

life tragic sun rise set last

“Life is tragic simply because the earth turns and the sun inexorably rises and sets, and one day, for each of us, the sun will go down for the last, last time. ”

― James Baldwin (1924-1987)

artist image thing force contain

“The artistic image is not intended to represent the thing itself, but, rather, the reality of the force the thing contains.”

― James Baldwin (1924-1987)

trust life learn joy sorrow

“Trust life, and it will teach you, in joy and sorrow, all you need to know.”

― James Baldwin (1924-1987)

society citizenry menace destroy unsafe

“If a society permits one portion of its citizenry to be menaced or destroyed, then, very soon, no one in that society is safe.”

― James Baldwin (1924-1987)