Lessons from James Baldwin | Notes of a Native Son

👋🏾 Hi everyone, happy 2024. Sharing some first thoughts and takeaways from James Baldwin and his 'Notes of a Native Son'. Thanks for watching 🙂
00:00 - Intro
02:08 - Categories and Simplifying Individuals
09:58 - Viewing the present through the past
13:28 - Confronting history to be morally better
16:41 - Conclusion

[@richteffekt]

Baldwin always strikes me as the kind of thinker that every intellectual pictures themselves to be. Unafraid of the truth, a firm grasp on reality and an uncorrupted knowledge of the context of the subject he thinks about. And all of it is rooted in true humanism that's like the pivot to his compass; the part that's immovable. I cannot speak to how it relates to and chimes with the experience of an African American as I am far outside the group. All I can attest to is the elegance and the concise nature of his conclusions. Thank you for a great, short intro; that hopefully gets more people interested.

[@YourTrueShelf]

Another amazing review. Baldwin has been on my must read list for ages - maybe I should start here. The discussion about categorisation and misrepresentation also reminded me Emma Dabri's work, which I'd very much recommend.

[@DolapoAdedokun]

Hey! Thank you for the comment and the recommendation!

[@lailakhoshkar126]

Lovely review, thank you.

[@DolapoAdedokun]

Thank you!

[@xmashamster]

Was thinking of Mandela as you spoke. Truth and reconciliation, in that order.

[@AlexATheEngineer]

Great synthesis, I think the distillation of categories and simplifying individuals is something I took away too: Baldwin is saying that misrepresentation can be more harmful or damaging than non-representation, a nuance that is certainly still relevant today.
I read Notes on a Native Son after reading Go Tell it On the Mountain -- in GTIOTM, I had so much dislike for Baldwin's father, but reading the titular essay "Notes on a Native Son" provided further context for his specific experience, what it must be like being a Black father in America, with all its associated rage, disillusionment, and thanklessness.
It's remarkable that Baldwin's body of work can touch on these themes and experiences in both his essays (where he effectively can provoke thought), and his fiction (where he can effectively evoke the emotions and empathy of these experiences). Excited for you to dive into his fiction, happy new year Dolapo!

[@DolapoAdedokun]

That's a great way to put it, thank you for commenting that. Happy new year to you as well!

[@wickerlibrary]

i have a bind up of baldwin's work that i've been meaning to read foreverrrrr this is gonna be my push i think! love your book analyses and reviews so much they're always so awesome and lovely to listen to

[@DolapoAdedokun]

That's very kind! Thank you!

[@imorca1994]

Baldwin is a great entrance into the conversation of these ideas. Listening to your responses was motivating for me to return to some of the thinkers in this vein that I've been meaning to engage.

[@DolapoAdedokun]

Thank you!

[@jenniferf4471]

I'm about to start this for a bookstagram readalong and this has given me lots to think about as I go into it - thank you for another wonderfully insightful, thought-provoking video!

[@DolapoAdedokun]

Thank you so much!

[@Dotun_Nihongo]

Nice vido

[@andtheywerereaders]

Native Son by Richard Wright has been on my list for a while, but I will need to check out Notes. It looks like they aren’t connected, but they have a similar through line from what I’ve seen.
Incredible reflection. Thanks for sharing your thoughts 🙏🏽
-Sierra

[@Piasays]

Ill have to re-read this one. Its been so many years since I’ve picked up Baldwin. I love watching his interviews. My favorite is the one he did with Nikki Giovanni.

[@DolapoAdedokun]

I'll have to check it out!

[@zacbillard]

I have yet to read an entire James Baldwin book, but this has made me want to read Notes now!

[@DolapoAdedokun]

Thank you!

[@CityGirlWriter]

🖤🖤🖤

[@rosieford5665]

I found this video really interesting ! I’ll have to give the essays a read :)

[@DolapoAdedokun]

Thank you 🙂

[@jadeddiamonds9983]

I've only read one Baldwin, The Fire Next Time, and I must say i loved it. However, I can't explain it really but I'm sort of afraid to dive deeper.

[@DolapoAdedokun]

I totally get that. His insights are so raw and sharp

[@Babiebackbooks]

Have you read Richard Wright's Native Son? Wright wrote that in 1940, I believe. Where Baldwin wrote his Notes on a Native Son in 1955(ish).
Baldwin came in in protestation of Wright's work. But I think it can be argued that Baldwin misread Wright's work. I love Baldwin with my entire heart, but I feel as if this discussion amongst authors showed his willingness to pick a fight rather than to find worth in satirical caricaturization. For Baldwin to be discussing the space of blackness as multitudinous in protestation of another black man is almost ironic.

[@andtheywerereaders]

Oh wow. I just wrote that I wanted to read Wright’s Native Son. Interesting to see the history! I’ll keep this in mind when I jump in :)

[@DigitalMarketingServiceshere]

What an Awesome video! 🔥
I noticed that your TH-cam channel has room for improvement to get more visitors and subscribers 🚀Thumbnails, titles, tags, keywords and video SEO need to be improved! I have a plan for your channel growth. Can I help you with your video SEO (All work for TH-cam growth)? Can we talk?