Nonviolence, Black Power, and “the Citizens of Pompeii”

This article delves into James Baldwin’s work and experience in the pivotal year 1968. Working with archival materials granular contexts that are still not a full part of our understanding story, this paints fuller more nuanced portrait position astraddle cultural cross-currents were volatile often violent relationship to each other at times themselves. The “sixties” ending flames as Baldwin had forecast outset decade. was based California, transit New York London, working ways once high-profile underground—to extent we’re only now seeing real evidence some these conversations. result is account how developed deployed his gifts risk-taking generosity intergenerational brilliance during one most years twentieth century United States beyond.