James Baldwin Debates William F. Buckley (1965) : "Is the American Dream at the expense of the American Negro"?

In celebration of MLK Holiday weekend I wanted to share one of my favorite YouTube videos ever! 
James Baldwin and William F. Buckley square off in a riveting debate at Cambridge University about the "American Negro". Its been over fifty years since the landmark Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, and we are still grappling with issues of race in America. 

Novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic, James Baldwin is a Harlem native whose essays, as collected in Notes of a Native Son (1955), explore palpable yet unspoken intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in Western societies, most notably in mid-20th-century America.

William F. Buckely, Jr. was a commentator and probably the most recognized conservative voice of his time. He founded the political magazine National Review in 1955, which had a major impact in stimulating the conservative movement. He hosted the television show Firing Line from 1966 until 1999, where he became known for his transatlantic accent and wide vocabulary.

I found both men's arguments fascinating and delivered with mind boggling use of language. I'll let you decide if you agree with the Cambridge students on who won.

Enjoy!

#MLKHoliday