James Baldwin, one of the most influential writers and civil rights activists of the 20th century, authored scores of novels, plays, poems, and essays.

If you have read some of his remarkable works — Go Tell It on the Mountain, Giovanni’s Room, Notes of a Native Son, If Beale Street Could Talk, and The Fire Next Time, to name a few — you know that his words resonate today, perhaps more than they have in decades.

But, how much do you know about James Baldwin’s life?

The National Museum of African American History and Culture’s digital exhibition Chez Baldwin will help you explore Baldwin’s early life in Harlem, international travels, and time in St.-Paul de Vence, France, as well as better understand his impact as a writer and civil rights activist.

Baldwin at a Glance

The will to transcend borders, maintain family ties, and cultivate friendships fueled Baldwin’s remarkable journey from Harlem to France.

An Author for the Ages

James Baldwin believed that a true writer defied ideological labels because the demands of art involve searching for truth, shifting paradigms, and changing attitudes and beliefs.

Bearing Witness to the Movement

Explore how Baldwin used various platforms to become a powerful voice in the Civil Rights Movement.

Transatlantic Commuter

Although he spent the much of his life in Europe, Baldwin always considered himself to be an American writer who lived as a “transatlantic commuter.”

Power of Place: St.-Paul de Vence

James Baldwin’s house in the South of France serves as a powerful lens through which you can explore his life and works. From 1971 to 1987, the last 16 years of his life, Baldwin's home in St.-Paul de Vence was his permanent, vibrant abode and an important social center for artists and intellectuals from Europe, Africa, America, and other places around the world.

Even the most committed Baldwin fan will learn something new from the online exhibition Chez Baldwin, another example of how the Museum has gone virtual!

From near or afar, you can help bring African American history into homes across the world when you join as a Member of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Images, top to bottom: James Baldwin by His Typewriter, Istanbul 1966, Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, © Sedat Pakay 1966. Photograph of James Baldwin and Paula Baldwin, 1953, Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Baldwin Family, © James Baldwin Estate. Nina Simone and James Baldwin, Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Photograph © Bernard Gotfryd. James Baldwin and Joan Baez in Selma, 1965, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, © Estate of James Karales. James Baldwin's passport, Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Baldwin Family. James Baldwin at his home in the South of France, Architectural Digest © Conde Nast.