As much as this fruitful world has to offer there are special moments we will never experience. And though technology has done a fascinating job facilitating some of our disadvantages, it will always remain that way. The minds of silicone valley are steadfast but I doubt if they can come up with an App that neutralizes human defects – like vanity, jealousy, megalomania, denial, and perhaps the most debilitating flaw of all – self-righteousness: A human component that sits inconspicuously in the midst of some of our tragic failures and missed opportunities. One such incident took place fifty-five years ago. A moment so egregious it blotches the pages of history, and stained, what could’ve truly been, a glorious day.
In the summer of 1963, considerations were given for James Baldwin to speak at the fabled March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. By that time, he had already graced the cover of TIME magazine, and his magnum opus, “The Fire Next Time” had struck the arid plains of Jim Crow America like a bolt of lightning; so, having him speak would seem a logical choice. But for self-righteous reasons that I’m sure was discussed under the perceived agency of logic, Baldwin was spurned. James Baldwin, one of the most intellectually endowed critical thinkers of the 20th century.
Luminaries like Baldwin are precious, and usually not around as long as we would like them to be, which is why we should fall sylphlike…