Kick off the James Baldwin Centennial Festival with our official Welcome Reception. Join us for an evening of mingling, introductions, and celebration as we gather to honor Baldwin's legacy and set the stage for a week of enriching experiences. Enjoy refreshments and connect with fellow attendees in a warm and elegant atmosphere.

We will kick off our programming with panel discussions with those who knew and loved James Baldwin and those who draw on his life and legacy as inspiration for their work.

Explore themes such as :

La Maison Baldwin: The Meaning of Home in the Black Literary Tradition and Imagination. Panel moderator: Jake Lamar, Panelists: Trevor Baldwin, Florence Ladd

Black Genius: The Role and Strategies of Black Artists in Shaping our Collective Future

Panel moderate: Jessica Care Moore, Panelists: Jackie Glover, Brad Walrond

Join high-profile faculty writers for an immersive Writers Workshop, designed to hone your craft and inspire creativity.

Our Creative Nonfiction workshop will be taught by Brian Broome, “Punch Me Up to the Gods”. 

Our Student Activism Sessions will empower young leaders to develop their activism and leadership skills, drawing inspiration from James Baldwin's works and his legacy of social justice. 

Ages 18-24(Students have a reduced Festival rate that includes the core festival activities and the student workshops.)

FRONTLINE PROPHET: JAMES BALDWIN is a year-long traveling exhibition featuring the artwork of Detroit-based creative, Sabrina Nelson. The exhibition consists of more than 40 works on paper and canvas, sketchbooks, installations, and video in celebration of Baldwin's centennial birthday, and presents imagery and sonic pieces culled from the lectures, writings, and socialpolitical themes James Baldwin professed in his work on critical culture, identity, race and sexuality. Nelson will invite collaborations with local visual and musical artists and writers to design dedicated works and programming that speak to liberation and justice. FRONTLINE PROPHET: JAMES BALDWIN opened in Harlem at The Interchurch Center in July, 2023 and has been exhibited in multiple cities throughout the year including Atlanta, New Orleans, Oakland and Chicago. In celebration of Baldwin's Centennial, FRONTLINE PROPHET: JAMES BALDWIN is "coming home" to Paris where it was originally conceived at the James Baldwin conference in 2016.  

Unleash your creativity at our Open Mic Gatherings, where participants can share their poetry, stories, and reflections inspired by James Baldwin's legacy. 

Join a supportive and vibrant community as we celebrate the power of words and the diverse voices that carry Baldwin's spirit forward. 

These events have limited admission. First come, first serve.

James Baldwin in Paris

Led by an Entrée to Black Paris tour guide, you will visit the places in Paris that inspired James Baldwin. Sites on this comprehensive 2-hour walk include the famous Café de Flore, where Baldwin rewrote Go Tell It on the Mountain and encountered his dear friend Beauford Delaney; the Brasserie Lipp and the Deux Magots – where he and Richard Wright quarreled; and several addresses where he lived. There will be 3 tour time slots available during the week outside of the other festival programming. 

Celebrate the culmination of the James Baldwin Centennial Festival at our Centennial Gala, Wednesday, September 11, 7pm-10:30pm at Titi Palacio! Attire: Elegant chic

Enjoy an elegant evening of festivities, honoring Baldwin's enduring legacy with captivating performances, heartfelt tributes, and an atmosphere of reflection and celebration.

The night will feature the musical stylings of Linda Lee Hopkins. Based in Paris for the last 23 years, Linda has graced the stages of local clubs, tv shows and been featured on local radio shows. She has acted in films directed by Marc Simenon and  Mathieu Demy.   With her warm and communicative voice, she has sung live with the likes of Gloria Gaynor, Percy Sledge, Al Jarreau, Michael Bolton, Incognito.  She has also appeared as back up for the late great Ray Charles on his album STRONG LOVE AFFAIR.  Linda was also the opening act for PRINCE at Bercy in Paris, France, performing in front of 17,000 spectators. 

Linda has just released her first ever album SPIRIT AND SOUL, an inspirational 

soul voyage into her life testimony. This album is produced under the ENCHANTE music label in Paris. 

“James Baldwin Outloud”--Theatrical performance produced by Karen Thorsen of The James Baldwin Project, in partnership with Samuel Legitimus of Le Collectif Baldwin.

This event will be held at Espace Curial, Rue Colette Magny, 75019 Paris, France at 18h00. Limited seating is available. 

To register, please email collectifbaldwin@free.fr

Conclude the James Baldwin Centennial Festival with an insightful closing panel and

an uplifting keynote address delivered by Dr. Melanie R. Hill, accomplished gospel violinist and named Term Chair Andrew W. Mellon Assistant Professor in the Study of Global Racial Justice and Assistant Professor of American Literature in the Department of English at Rutgers University,

The Fire Next Time: Baldwin's Warning and the Urgency of Contemporary Activism

Panel moderator: Ed Pavlic, Panelists: Lynnee Denise, Neo Musangi

Experience the creative brilliance of our guest writers at the Writers' Showcase. 

This event highlights original works inspired by James Baldwin's legacy, offering a platform for emerging and established voices to share their powerful stories and perspectives.