James Baldwin (b Amer 1924-87) is a literary giant & legendary social activist whose novels, essays & plays reflected the heinous racism & oppression of blacks in American in the early-mid 20th C. Tragically, Baldwin's scorching depiction of racial brutalities & social injustice resound a prescient clarion alarm that clangs as disharmoniously today. Baldwin's play is set in the south in the 1950's. Richard Henry is a young black man just returning to his southern hometown where his father, Minister Meridian Henry and his grandmother live after spending several dismal years in New York city. "Mr Charlie" is the label Meridian uses for "All white men;" a counter pejorative epithet to Uncle Toms. Richard failed as a musician, struggled with drug addiction & spent time incarcerated. He is nonetheless welcomed by his father, grandmother and former girlfriend, Juanita. Richard is well received by most white folks in the community; Lyle, a local white store owner in particular. Lyle & his family have lived in the same town as Richard's family for generations. Lyle has maintained the same narrow minded bigoted views of his forefathers. Lyle describes Richard to his friend Parnell as "…a northern nigger. Went North and got ruined and come back here to make trouble." Trouble erupts when Richard fails to submit Lyle's despicable white supremacist actions. Richard's father attempts to mitigate tensions. Meridian is only too aware "If you're a black man, with a black son, you have to forget all about white people and concentrate on trying to save your child." Richard is found dead and Lyle stands trial for his murder but without trepidation for being found guilty. On the stand, Juanita tells the court "They been killing all our men for years, for generations! Our husbands, our fathers, our brothers and our sons!" Susan, Lyle's wife takes the stand and commits perjury in his defense. The verdict is unsettling but not surprising; a black man is murdered without retribution. Baldwin, a writer of exceptional eloquence addressed racial injustice from the 1960's. He attacked the systemic issues obstructing change and advancement. "What is ghastly and really almost hopeless in our racial situation now is that the crimes we have committed are so great and so unspeakable that the acceptance of this knowledge would lead, literally, to madness. The human being, then, in order to protect himself, closes his eyes, compulsively repeats his crimes, and enters a spiritual darkness which no one can describe." (JB April, 1964)
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