It is only because the world looks on his talent with such a frightening indifference that the artist is compelled to make his talent important.
More Quotes from James Baldwin:
The world changes according to the way people see it, and if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way ... people look at reality, then you can change it.James Baldwin
When the book comes out it may hurt you -- but in order for me to do it, it had to hurt me first. I can only tell you about yourself as much as I can face about myself.
James Baldwin
What passes for identity in America is a series of myths about one's heroic ancestors. It's astounding to me, for example, that so many people really seem to believe that the country was founded by a band of heroes who wanted to be free.
James Baldwin
The Negro past of rope, fire, torture, castration, infanticide, rape death and humiliation fear by day and night, fear as deep as the marrow of the bone doubt that he was worthy of life, since everyone around him denied it sorrow for his women, for his kinfolk, for his children, who needed his protection, and whom he could not protect rage, hatred and murder, hatred for white men so deep that it often turned against him and his own, and made all love, all trust, all joy impossible.
James Baldwin
A child cannot be taught by someone who despises him.
James Baldwin
It is impossible to pretend that you are not heir to, and therefore, however inadequately or unwillingly, responsible to, and for, the time and place that give you life -- without becoming, at very best, a dangerously disoriented human being.
James Baldwin
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The character and history of each child may be a new and poetic experience to the parent, if he will let it.
Margaret Fuller
It's not written in the Constitution or anything else.... Congress, just out of the clear blue sky, said the airwaves belong to the people, which means, in essence, that it belongs to Congress.
Adrian Cronauer