By Abigail Giron Marroquin
Go Tell It on the Mountain
If Beale Street Could Talk
Giovanni’s Room
All these books are American classics written by the one and only James Baldwin. On Tuesday, Oct 22, I had the privilege of getting to know Baldwin through University of Bridgeport’s Necessary Voices event featuring Karen Thorsen and Douglas Dempsey, Producer/Director and Co-Producer, respectively, of the documentary James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket.
The 35-year-old film recounts Baldwin’s life, legacy, and literary journey. It was Thorsen’s first feature film and has been presented at countless film festivals and garnered multiple awards. The film itself is made up of clips from Baldwin’s life, as well as interviews with those who knew the famous author.
Instead of lecturing the audience of UB staff and students, Thorsen opened up a conversation, giving the audience the opportunity to ask questions. One of the questions asked by the audience was, “What do you think Baldwin’s legacy is today?”
Thorsen suggested: “Well, I’d say it’s you guys.”
Thorsen went on to explain that when she first coordinated with Baldwin to work on the film, he was a college professor getting poor reviews for his literary work. “His focus was on today’s legacy, which was those students, and the project that we began working on was what he cared about most: issues of progress. I’m here to guide you back to his books, and make you think about his message.”
During the second half of the discussion, Thorsen shared various quotes that emphasize Baldwin’s messages toward the world. A quote that she says “struck” her is the following: “As long as you insist on thinking you’re white, I’m going to be forced to think I’m Black.” Thorsen explained that this quote implies that adding a label to a person pushes them to incorporate a label onto themselves. At the same time, Thorsen said, “It also is solidifying this definition that you’re giving to yourself, and often it separates us.”
Toward the end of the discussion and questions, Thorsen said that the film was originally going to feature Baldwin asking one question to the children of murdered civil rights movement leaders, including the children of Martin Luther King Jr. and the daughter of Malcolm X — “Was it worth it that your father was assassinated?”
This question left the audience without a response. Since Baldwin died before he and Thorsen had a chance to work on the film project together, the question is left unasked and unanswered, echoing silently among us.
Events such as the screening of James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket enrich the educational experience — and campus culture — for the students who call UB their home. By participating in these critical conversations with experts, we prepare to enter professional spaces in an increasingly diverse and globally connected world — refining, challenging, and broadening our perspectives.
