Exhibition Opening: JIMMY, God's Black Revolutionary Mouth

Join us for the opening reception and public program for our newest exhibition in celebration of James Baldwin’s 100th birthday. On public display for the first time, we proudly present selections from the James Baldwin Papers that highlight his literary career and legacy from childhood to death, along with items from other research collections that illuminate the passion, brilliance, and courageous spirit of James “Jimmy” Baldwin.

Stay for our public program featuring Yahdon Israel, Senior editor at Simon Schuster and two-time Grammy Award-winning recording hip-hop artist and humanitarian, Che “Rhymefest” Smith, in a conversation about the critical voice of James Baldwin and the use of popular culture to further elevate important figures and ideas. Rhymefest's latest project, James & Nikki: A Conversation, is inspired by and includes clips from the historic 1971 conversation between literary icons.

More about JIMMY! God's Black Revolutionary Mouth

Novelist, essayist, intellectual, and activist James Baldwin (1924 - 1987) is renowned as one of the world’s most influential and prophetic voices of our time. His death in 1987 sent waves of grief around the world. Amiri Baraka’s eulogy, titled “Jimmy!”, spoke of James "Jimmy" Baldwin as “not only a writer, international literary figure” but as a “man, spirit, voice”. Baraka called Baldwin “God’s black revolutionary mouth” which speaks to Baldwin’s enduring legacy of radical truth-telling. Organized by Barrye Brown, Curator, Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division at the Schomburg Center.

Header Image: James Baldwin (1963), James Baldwin with Medgar Evers (1963) by photographer, Steve Shapiro

Live captioning is available for streaming programs. ASL interpretation and additional accessibility requests can be made by e-mail to [email protected].

As a recording artist, songwriter, humanitarian, and trailblazer, Che “Rhymefest” Smith has shattered countless negative stereotypes in hip-hop. His creative contributions to the culture have earned him GRAMMY Awards, a Soul Train Award, a Golden Globe and countless nominations and accolades for his Oscar Award Winning works. Rhymefest considers himself a global citizen, partnering with organizations like “The Abolition Institue” as he fights against modern-day slavery in places like Mauritania. It’s Rhymefest’s belief that music should be used as a tool to heal wounds and bridge connections between cultures. Never straying from his love of music and community service, he co-founded the nonprofit organization Art Of Culture, where he mentors youth, teaches writing classes and exposes young people to the world around them with 7-day youth cultural retreats. Learn more here.

Yahdon Israel is a Senior editor at Simon Schuster and founder of Literaryswag, a cultural movement that intersects literature and fashion to make books accessible. He has written for The New Inquiry, LitHub, Poets and Writers, Vanity Fair, and The Atlantic. He teaches Creative Writing at the MFA Program at City College, previously served on the Board of the National Book Critics Circle, and founded the Literaryswag Book Club, a Brooklyn-based subscription service and book club that meets every last Wednesday of the month.

This program is supported by .

#SchomburgLive

FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED Events are free and open to all, but due to space constraints registration is requested. Registered guests are given priority check-in 15 to 30 minutes before start time. After the event starts all registered seats are released regardless of registration, so we recommend that you arrive early.

GUESTS Please note that holding seats in the Langston Hughes Auditorium is strictly prohibited and there is no food or drinks allowed anywhere in the Schomburg Center.

E-TRANSPORTATION NYPL policy prohibits electric transportation devices (e.g., motorbikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards) from being brought into or stored at library sites for any length of time, as this is the best way to keep our spaces & people safe.

AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDING Programs are photographed and recorded by the Schomburg Center. Attending this event indicates your consent to being filmed/photographed and your consent to the use of your recorded image for any all purposes of the New York Public Library.

PRESS Please send all press inquiries (photo, video, interviews, audio-recording, etc) at least 24-hours before the day of the program to Leah Drayton at [email protected].

Please note that professional video recordings are prohibited without expressed consent.

COVID 19 By registering for this event, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. By attending an in-person program at The New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold The New York Public Library, its Trustees, officers, agent and employees liable for any illness or injury.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, United States