In 1965, James Baldwin and William F. Buckley — thought leaders from dramatically different backgrounds — made plans to debate race relations and the meaning of the American Dream. In this pivotal year at the height of the civil rights movement, students crowded into the debate hall at the University of Cambridge to hear arguments from opposing sides. What followed would go down in history. In this episode of Black History in Two Minutes (or so) hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. — with additional commentary from Khalil Gibran Muhammad of Harvard University and Imani Perry of Princeton University — we witness a haunting performance from one of America’s great orators as he confronts head-on the horrors of our history.
American novelist, writer, playwright, poet, essayist and civil rights activist James Baldwin poses at his home in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, southern France, on November 6, 1979. AFP PHOTO RALPH GATTI (Photo credit should read RALPH GATTI/AFP/Getty Images)
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