Nobody Knows My Name: More Notes of a Native Son

Nobody Knows My Name: More Notes of a Native Son (1961) by James Baldwin is a collection of essays which serve as a companion to the author’s earlier anthology, Notes of a Native Son (1955). The work covers topics such as discrimination, segregation, police brutality, racial violence, and identity. The essays in this compilation comprise Baldwin’s experiences and thoughts during the end of his nine years in Paris and return to the United States. Baldwin served as a witness to the civil rights movement and explored the complexities of issues that remain relevant today. Baldwin’s work has had a major influence on contemporary American writers and thinkers. He is considered one of the greatest American essayists and thinkers.

This guide uses the First Vintage International Edition published in 1993.

Content Warning: The source text discusses racial discrimination and violence and includes references to hate crimes, sexual discrimination, death by suicide, police brutality, and assassination. Baldwin’s discussion focuses mainly on the experiences and arguments of Black men. The source material uses some outdated language, which is replicated in this guide only in direct quotes.

Summary

James Baldwin lived in Paris between 1948 and 1957; Baldwin cites the oppressive culture of the United States as one reason for his move.