The Enduring Legacy of James Baldwin

The Enduring Legacy of James Baldwin

Free Talks
| 60 MINUTES
LGBTQIA+, Expressions of Black Freedom

James Baldwin’s impact moved beyond his medium of work and still resonates today. Many artists have been inspired not only by his words but also by his sense of being. Celebrate what would have been Baldwin’s 100th birthday with these creatives who will speak about Baldwin’s enduring legacy.


Panelists
Roy Wood Jr.

Roy Wood Jr.

Roy Wood Jr. is a comedian, an Emmy-nominated documentary producer for the PBS documentary The Neutral Ground, and for 8 years served as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s Emmy-winning The Daily Show (2015-23). Spring of 2023, Wood Jr. guest hosted The Daily Show and headlined the White House Correspondents' Dinner to its highest ratings since 2017.

Wood co-starred alongside Jon Hamm in Paramount Pictures' long-awaited Fletch remake, Confess, Fletch (2022), and has guest appearances in ‘Only Murders in the Building’, ‘Better Call Saul’, ‘The Last O.G.’ & ‘Space Force.’

His first Comedy Central one-hour stand-up special Roy Wood Jr.: Father Figure, debuted in 2017, the same year he was named the new host of Comedy Central’s storytelling series, This is Not Happening. Debuting in 2019, his second Comedy Central special Roy Wood Jr.: No One Loves You, remains the network’s highest-rated original stand-up premiere. In 2021, his third Comedy Central special Roy Wood Jr.: Imperfect Messenger, aired hyper-recent material just two weeks after taping.

Kara Young

Kara Young

Kara Young was most recently seen starring on Broadway as ‘Lutiebelle Gussie’ in PURLIE VICTORIOUS: A NON-CONFEDERATE ROMP THROUGH THE COTTON PATCH, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award. Her third Tony nomination makes her the first Black performer to be nominated three years in a row, and only the sixth performer ever to do so. Additionally, her performance as ‘Lutiebelle’ has earned her an Outer Critics Circle Award a Drama Desk Award and a Drama League nomination. She made her Broadway debut in Lynn Nottage’s CLYDE’S, for which she also received a Tony nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play. She was also nominated for a 2023 Tony Award for her work in COST OF LIVING and won an Obie Award for her performance in the Classical Theatre of Harlem’s production of TWELFTH NIGHT. Kara can be seen in Boots Riley’s I’M A VIRGO for Prime Video, which earned her an Indie Spirit Nomination for Best Breakthrough Performance. She also appeared in HBO Max’s THE STAIRCASE as well as Netflix’s THE PUNISHER. She also starred in the winning Sundance Short, HAIR WOLF. Kara starred in the MCC Theater’s ALL THE NATALIE PORTMANS, for which she received a Lucille Lortel Award Nomination. Her other stage credits include HALFWAY BITCHES GO STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN, NEW ENGLANDERS, REVOLVING CYCLES TRULY AND STEADILY ROLL’D and PRETTY HUNGER. 

Jordan E. Cooper

Jordan E. Cooper

Jordan E. Cooper is an Award-winning playwright, producer, director, performer, and currently the youngest Black American playwright in the history of Broadway, as well as the youngest Black showrunner in television history.His Obie Award-winning play, AIN’T NO MO’ originally debuted to a sold out run at The Public Theater in 2019 and in December 2022 opened on Broadway to resounding acclaim, marking Jordan’s Broadway debut both off stage and on – starring as the hilarious and bossy flight attendant “Peaches.” Press called AIN’T NO MO’ “fearlessly provocative,” “jubilantly disruptive,” and the “Best New Play on Broadway This Year,” citing Jordan as “Broadway’s Groundbreaking New Voice.” Jordan was joined by such industry giants as Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tyler Perry, Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade, Shonda Rhimes, Queen Latifah and more to support the #saveAINTNOMO campaign and extend the show’s run on Broadway.Jordan co-created, executive produces and directs the Emmy-nominated “The Ms. Pat Show,” which is hailed by critics as "one of the most radical sitcoms of the modern era.” The hit multi-cam series had its fourth season on BET+ this year. Jordan was also featured on the final season of FX’s groundbreaking series “Pose” as “MC Tyrone” and has his own production company, Cookout Entertainment.Jordan was raised in Texas and graduated from The New School in New York.

* Rush Tickets available at venue except for
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The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.

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