Instructional Video

Notes of a Native Son: The World According to James Baldwin

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This Notes of a Native Son: The World According to James Baldwin instructional video also includes:

Why would the FBI have perceived James Baldwin as a threat to national security? Why did they consider this preacher, writer, thinker, expat, activist so dangerous while Robert Kennedy and other government officials considered him an ambassador for Black Americans? A short biography details the life and works of Baldwin and explores why he was the subject of investigation by the FBI.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Have groups research the FBI's investigations of other artists and thinkers, including African Americans Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X
  • Include the video as part of a study of Baldwin's Notes of a Native Son, of Go Tell It on the Mountain, of The Fire Next Time, or as part of Black History Month studies
Classroom Considerations
  • Does not provide links to related articles and resources; however, the resource does pose questions that ask viewers to make personal connections to issues raised by the video
Pros
  • The video leaves viewers to draw their own conclusions about why the FBI was so focused on Baldwin
Cons
  • None
Common Core