Aug 2, 2024 - Politics & Policy

In photos: James Baldwin at 100

Russell Contreras

Close-up of American author and playwright James Baldwin (1924 - 1987) as he sits backstage at the ANTA (American National Theater and Academy) Playhouse, New York, New York, April 1964. He was there to attend the opening of his play 'Blues for Mr Charlie.' — American author and playwright James Baldwin (1924 - 1987) as he sits backstage at the ANTA (American National Theater and Academy) Playhouse in New York, April 1964. He was there to attend the opening of his play "Blues for Mr Charlie." Photo: Robert Elfstrom/Villon Films/Gety Images

James Baldwin, the prolific novelist, essayist and playwright, would have turned 100 years old on Friday. The Harlem-born writer who wrote from Paris at times challenged the U.S. through his work to confront its legacy of slavery and racism.

Through the lens: Here are some images from Baldwin's career as he attended civil rights demonstrations, rubbed elbows with celebrities and became a voice for generations of Black Americans later.

James Baldwin as he poses on a rooftop on West 54th Street New York City, 1953. Photo: William Cole/Getty Images

James Baldwin smiles as he poses with actor Marlon Brando outside the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Washington DC, August 28, 1963. — James Baldwin smiles as he poses with actor Marlon Brando outside the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Washington D.C., August 28, 1963. The march provided the setting for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech. Photo: Rowland Scherman/USIA/PhotoQuest/Getty Images

James Baldwin listens to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the culmination of the Selma to Montgomery March, March 1965. Photo: Morton Broffman/Getty Images

James Baldwin, Jazz vocalist Abbey Lincoln, and Jazz musician Max Roach attend a premiere of 'For Love of Ivy' at Loew's Tower East Theater, New York, July 16, 1968. Photo: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

James Baldwin in Paris in 1972. Photo: Sophie Bassouls/Sygma via Getty Images

James Baldwin during a lunch in Paris with his literary agent and a friend. — James Baldwin during a lunch with his literary agent and a friend in Paris in 1972. Photo: Sophie Bassouls/Sygma via Getty Images

James Baldwin sitting and signing books in a crowded book store, 1980. Photo: Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images

James Baldwin, author of "Blues for Mr Charlie," a play in New York city, signing books for fans, with Percy Thomas the lead actor, New York City, December 7, 1980. — James Baldwin, author of "Blues for Mr Charlie," a play in New York city, signing books for fans, with Percy Thomas, the lead actor, December 7, 1980. Photo: Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images

James Baldwin Exhibit at the National Museum of African American History & Culture on January 15, 2017 in Washington,D.C. — James Baldwin Exhibit at the National Museum of African American History & Culture on January 15, 2017, in Washington, D.C. Photo: Walter McBride/Getty Images

A photo and quote of James Baldwin is seen on a piece of paper after it was painted onto a boulder alongside Folsom Street on Monday, June 8, 2020 in San Francisco, Calif. Kseniya Makarova painted the rock for Black Lives Matter. — A photo and quote of James Baldwin is seen on a piece of paper after it was painted onto a boulder in San Francisco on June 8, 2020, during the Black Lives Matter protests in response to the murder of George Floyd. Photo: Lea Suzuki/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

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In photos: James Baldwin at 100

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