A political companion to James Baldwin In seminal works such as Go Tell It on the Mountain Notes of a Native Son and The Fire Next Time acclaimed author and social critic James Baldwin (1924–1987) expresses his profound belief that writers have the power to transform society to engage the public and to inspire and channel conversation to achieve lasting change. While Baldwin is best known for his writings on racial consciousness and injustice he is also one of the countrys most eloquent theorists of democratic life and the national psyche. In A Political Companion to James Baldwin a group of prominent scholars assess the prolific authors relevance to present day political challenges. Together they address Baldwin as a democratic theorist activist and citizen examining his writings on the civil rights movement religion homosexuality and womens rights. They investigate the ways in which his work speaks to and galvanizes a collective American polity and explore his views on the political implications of individual experience in relation to race and gender. This volume not only considers Baldwins works within their own historical context but also applies the authors insights to recent events such as the Obama presidency and the Black Lives Matter movement emphasizing his faith in the connections between the past and present. These incisive essays will encourage a new reading of Baldwin that celebrates his significant contributions to political and democratic theory.