The interviewer asks: “Are you still in despair about the world?” James Baldwin replies:
I never have been in despair about the world. I’ve been enraged by it. I don’t think I’m in despair. I can’t afford despair. I can’t tell my nephew, my niece. You can’t tell the children there’s no hope.
Comments 4
Larry Charles Wilson — December 4, 2014
You are aware aren't you that Hope was the only evil that did not escape from the Box?
Bill R — December 4, 2014
Baldwin of course is correct and insightful.
Despair like worrying is a wastful emotion. One's energy is better spent on constructive planning and action.
[VIDEO] James Baldwin: “I Can’t Afford Despair” | News | NeoBlack News — December 5, 2014
[…] (h/t The Society Pages) […]
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