The North Star with Shaun King

The North Star with Shaun King

The Ghost of James Baldwin: Racial Conservatism, Critical Race Theory, and the Fear of a Black Idea

TNS contributing writer, Nicholas Mitchell highlights the cultural work of James Baldwin that pre-dated critical race theory and set a framework for today's dissent and scholarly efforts.

TNS Editors
Sep 02, 2021
∙ Paid
James Baldwin speaking; Photo by Marion Jorrin/Pix/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

In the summer following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Black revolt across the country, the United States was a society standing the closest to the abyss of an open race war that it had ever been. White flight was abdicating urban centers to the c…

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Shaun King.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
A guest post by
TNS Editors
© 2026 The North Star · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture