(Disclosure--not full: I met James Baldwin at the 92nd Street YMCA in NYC just after his second book "Giovanna's Room" was published and he was participating on a panel for what was very rare at that time talking about gay sex, black men and women in the 1950s none of the  3 related to each other. At that time he was friends with Marlon Brando and Wally Cox and I had lived next door to the former and when he saw me he hugged me and asked me to join them for  a bite to eat afterwards. For awhile I became part of their circle though I certainly was on the outer circle!)

With all that said after he went to live in Paris I didn't see him nor when he came back so I didn't know too much about his last book that wasn't finished when he died and Director Raoul Peck decided to make this documentary using Baldwin's words, and public appearances, to finish the book.

James Baldwin knew Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Junior, and all 4 men, in the 1970s, wrote and spoke about events that took place many decades before and, unaware, all talked about events that are taking place today.

"I Am Not Your Negro" is an in your face look at race relations in our country from day one until today and though it is Oscar nominated it would be better seen on HBO or PBS or showed in classrooms for all ages.

I do hope whoever sees this will be lead to the readings of James Baldwin's from his "Go Tell It On The Mountain" to "Giovanni's Room", "The Fire Next Time", "Notes Of A Native Son", "Another Country" just to name a few that will have you entertained, moved, educated and intrigued.

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