James Baldwin was a poet, novelist, essayist, and political activist from Harlem, New York City. His work focused particularly on the impacts of racism and segregation for both the oppressed and the oppressor. A few of his most notable works include Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953), Notes of a Native Son (1955), and The Fire Next Time (1963). Baldwin’s work was instrumental in illuminating the illusions of a society steeped in discrimination and racism.
Information from the Poetry Foundation.