On the first day of Black History Month, Elizabethtown College’s High Library launched the “James Baldwin, In Conversation with America” exhibit to highlight one of the most influential African American figures. The exhibit is located in the library’s IDEA lab and is scheduled to run until May 12, 2023. 

The exhibit’s goal is to highlight the work of James Baldwin by showcasing his work from the 20th century as well as his involvement with the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 60s. Baldwin’s books, such as “The Fire Next Time” (1963), focus on the subject of racial inequity in America as well as the intersection between race and queerness. 

The exhibit was created with the support of instruction and outreach librarian Josh Cohen, area coordinator at Residence Life Eugene Thomas, assistant professor of English literature Patrick Allen, director of the High Library Sarah Penniman and systems librarian Susan Krall. 

Thomas has been involved with a wide variety of events for this year’s Black History Month celebrations. A fan of Baldwin’s work, Thomas felt that having the exhibit highlight Baldwin will aid spread the work of an influential figure with work that still resonates with society today.

“James Baldwin became the highlight because of his urgency to discuss race and the impact it has had on America,” Thomas said. “Others should read Baldwin for his approach in asking the harder question of who really are we as people? In asking that question, we begin to understand where we have been and where we can go.”

The exhibit has a number of posters hung up for visitors to contextualize Baldwin’s work and understand the impact his work had on society. One of the posters highlights Baldwin’s intersectionality in being Black and Queer. “To fully appreciate Baldwin’s impact as a public intellectual and artist, he must be understood through an intersectional lens,” the poster read. Other posters in the exhibit included information on Baldwin’s influence in the 21st century, his famous book “The Fire Next Time,” his work in the Civil Rights Movement, his fictional work and a biographical overview. 

The Library has been involved with a variety of campus events and celebrations, hosting speakers and setting up curated exhibits. This year’s selection of highlighting Baldwin was purposeful. 

“I think that Baldwin was one of the most insightful writers about race and racism in America in the 1960s and 70s, and he could also talk about the topic like no one else,” Cohen said. “I don’t think that he has always received the credit that he deserves as a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement. We point this out in the exhibit that Martin Luther King, Jr. didn’t give him much credit. But I think that now, Baldwin is recognized for his contributions to the movement as well as respected for his incredible body of work which still has resonance and continues to influence how we talk about and understand racism in America today. So if folks in the Etown community haven’t read his work, I hope that this exhibit might pique their interest.”

The exhibit is an interesting curation because it was the collaborative work of numerous departments across campus. Baldwin is many people’s favorite writer, and it was not a surprise that Cohen was able to find many like-minded people interested in showcasing Baldwin’s inspiring work and sharing it with the campus community.

“I chose to do some programming around James Baldwin and his work after finding out that Gene Thomas from Student Life also has an interest in Baldwin,” Cohen said. “I reached out to Gene to see if he was interested in working together on some James Baldwin programming for Black History Month. And then I also reached out to Patrick Allen who teaches in the English department and has a strong background in African-American literature to see if he had an interest in working on the exhibit idea with me. So it was great to have partners in Gene and Patrick and to have additional help from fellow librarians, Sarah Penniman and Susan Krall.”

Students have expressed renewed interest in Baldwin’s work as many of them take a walk through the exhibit in between study breaks. They get to peruse the many books put on display and are able to listen to an interview by Baldwin in one of the IDEA lab’s interactive stands. 

“I have always heard about Baldwin’s work and how much it influenced American history,” first-year biology pre-med major Alysse Smith said. “I am glad that it is so easily accessible for many students to just wander in when they are in the library instead of having to walk to a different building or go out of their way to learn more about him.”

The High Library will be screening award-winning 2016 documentary film on Baldwin, “I Am Not Your Negro,” on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. in the KAV. This event is open for students, faculty and staff. Student clubs and organizations are also hosting exhibit walk-throughs led by Cohen. Reach out to GSA and NAACP on gsa@etown.edu and naacp@etown.edu to learn more. 

For a full list of events celebrating Black History Month, visit: https://www.etown.edu/offices/diversity/beloved-community-collective.aspx