James Baldwin (Nephew)
In his first essay, Baldwin addresses a letter to his nephew James. James is revealed to be a fifteen year old boy, and the son of Baldwin's younger brother. He is named after Baldwin, which builds a special bond between them. Baldwin describes James as “tough, dark, vulnerable, moody," and notes that he wants to avoid appearing “soft” at any cost. He is compared to Baldwin's father because of these qualities. James functions mainly as the audience for Baldwin's letter, which addresses his family history as well as the general social situation of African Americans at the time. Baldwin encourages James to approach his life with courage and address his white countrymen with love, in order to teach them to see how they have negatively impacted African Americans for centuries.
E. Franklin Frazier
An American sociologist known for analyzing the broader social factors that shaped African American family life from slavery to the 1930s. Baldwin refers to him in his letter to James. He quotes Frazier's phrase "cities of destruction" when describing his family's move into urban spaces. Baldwin's reference to Frazier helps him to generalize his own family history by relating it to the fate of other African American families across the nation.
Baldwin's father
Baldwin's father is first referenced in his letter to his nephew, James. He is referred to as a stubborn man who never wanted to appear soft. He is also said to resemble Baldwin's brother and his nephew. According to Baldwin, he had a terrible life and felt defeated even before his death because he internalized what white people said about him being inferior due to his race. He turned to religion partly because he really believed what white people said about him. Baldwin warns his nephew against becoming like his grandfather, cautioning him never to adhere to the expectations of white Americans. Baldwin's father is also a figure in the second letter, and appears primarily as an antagonist in Baldwin's childhood; he was always someone Baldwin felt he had to compete against, and whose views he vehemently disagreed with.
Elijah Muhammad
The leader of the Nation of Islam movement. After seeing his father lynched at six years old, Elijah began to develop a militant theology. He preached that God was black, and black men had originally ruled the earth. The temporary rule of white men would soon come to an end, and black men could then reclaim their rightful position as the superior race. His movement advocated for separatism: he wanted African Americans to split away from the United States and form their own nation, as this was, he believed, the only way African Americans could claim power. Baldwin's initial impression of Elijah is favorable. He notes that he is a very genuine and kind man, with hidden pain behind his smile. However, although he respects some of Elijah's beliefs, he ultimately rejects the Nation of Islam because he does not accept its depiction of all white men as "devils." Personally, he has a number of white friends and does not believe that any white man is necessarily evil.
