Baldwin’s 1968 introduction of King told a story of betrayal, not progress

Evidence

Baldwin had not been expecting to give an introduction for King, and he hesitated as he approached the podium. When he reached the microphone he announced, in a somewhat halting manner, his surprise. His subsequent introduction of King said little about King himself, only that “Martin” had spent most of his time, in the early years of the civil rights movement, “in and out of jail…trying to redeem what we claim we live by.” Instead, Baldwin told a brief story about the promise of those early days and how that promise was betrayed by the country. He recounted a history of how they had arrived at this moment in 1968. It was not a triumphant story, rather one shot through with disappointment and frustration. — Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Begin Again, 212

Categorization

• XREF: This is the kernel of the book’s ‘after times’ thesis in miniature — a public speech structured as failed-reckoning narrative. Connects to the reader’s task of defining ‘the after times.’