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James Baldwin’s Fire-Baptized Truth: Notes on a Native Son

To celebrate James Baldwin’s life and work, Lewis Latimer House Museum hosts a special virtual Reading & Discussion series this fall. Participants are welcome to join any number of the five virtual sessions. This series takes place biweekly on Wednesday evenings in September – November 2021.

Facilitator: Sherese Francis

James Baldwin once said ““If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don’t see.” Throughout his life Baldwin used his words to reveal difficult, complex truths about America and the world, about his communities and even about himself, because he believed truth-telling was an act of love. In this Reading and Discussion series, we will look at various writings from Baldwin, thinking about how his truths are still relevant in 21st century America.

Virtual Session 1

What does it mean to be American? Reading excerpts from essays “Everybody’s Protest Novel,” “Many Thousand Gone,” “Carmen Jones” and “The Harlem Ghetto,” we will discuss Baldwin’s speaking truth to the power of America’s myths, stories and media, which often obscures and warps the realities of the daily lives of Americans, especially Black Americans.

This Reading & Discussion series is supported by Humanities NY.

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September 16

Virtual STEAM Workshop: Paper Maché Part I

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September 30

Virtual STEAM Workshop: Paper Maché Part II