James Baldwin and Malcolm X… Soulmates of the Revolution?

In 1961, Malcolm X and James Baldwin engaged in a radio-broadcasted discussion about the state of Black progress, nonviolence, and racial identity. This was the first time the pair would meet and over the years, they would become fond of each other. In many ways, the two men seemed to understand each other’s rage, but why?

In those years of the Civil Rights Movement, many blacks were wary of sacrifice involved in the non-violent direct action movement, largely led by Martin Luther King Jr. Baldwin’s place in the Black political world was interrogated on so many sides, whether it be Eldridge Cleaver berating him in Soul on Ice or the white moderate aiming to control Baldwin’s ferocity.

Among the many men of the movement, Baldwin spoke of Malcolm X (who some have rumored to be bisexual) with a particular kind of fondness; naming him as a potential “soulmate”. But how close were they actually? And was there some aspect of their dynamic that Baldwin fabricated?

To learn more, check out my video.

What do you think of the connection between James Baldwin and Malcolm X?