James Arthur Baldwin was born in New York City’s Harlem Hospital on August 2, 1924, to Emma Berdis Jones; his father was unknown. Jones came to New York from Maryland and worked as a domestic, seeking a better life in the “Promised Land” of the North like many other southern African Americans. When James was two, she married David Baldwin, an older preacher, whom she bore eight more children. Young Jimmy become skilled in childcare and would help support them throughout his life. David Baldwin’s mother, Barbara, had been a slave in New Orleans, and bore fourteen children of black and white ancestry. She spent her last years with the family and deeply impressed Jimmy. Baldwin senior worked as a laborer but could not li

This article in full comprises 3551 words but only the first 150 or so words are available to non-members.

All our articles have been written recently by experts in their field, more than 95% of them university professors. To read about membership, please click here.

First published 25 October 2002

Citation: Zaborowska, Magdalena J.. "James Baldwin". The Literary Encyclopedia. 25 October 2002.
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=229, accessed 20 November 2009.]