Eddie Glaude's 'Begin Again' Analyzes James Baldwin and America's Third Moral Reckoning

Eddie S. Glaude Jr.'s book 'Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Today' examines America's cyclical racial conflicts through the lens of James Baldwin's work. Published in the US in 2020 and in the UK in 2021 by Chatto & Windus, the book overlays historical periods to highlight recurring patterns. Glaude, a Princeton professor, wrote during the Trump presidency, with the text resonating powerfully after George Floyd's death and the 2020 election turmoil. The work identifies America's third moral reckoning, comparable to the Civil War/Reconstruction era and the mid-20th century Black freedom struggle. Drawing on figures like W. E. B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King, and Eldridge Cleaver, Glaude redeems Baldwin from narratives of despair, emphasizing his radical honesty and continued relevance. The book analyzes Baldwin's ideological shifts between 'The Fire Next Time' (1963) and 'No Name in the Street' (1972), framing Trumpism as parallel to Reaganism's backlash. Glaude argues that dismissing Trump as an aberration prevents meaningful progress, insisting he reflects deeper national truths. Priced at £16.99 in hardcover, the genre-defying blend of memoir, biography, and history offers Baldwin's life as a model for enduring struggle.