Description
In a memorable meeting in May 1963, Bobby Kennedy met with James Baldwin and a small group of black artists and thinkers (Harry Belafonte, Lorraine Hansberry et al) in the Kennedy family apartment on Central Park South in New York City. For Bobby Kennedy, it was a shocking experience. The Attorney General, brother of the President of the United States and ardent civil rights supporter was expecting a discussion on how to improve race relations in America. Instead it became a verbal attack on Kennedy (one example -“just the thought of being in this room, pleading for my rights, makes me want to throw up”). In this class we’ll discuss what transpired at that meeting, what shocked Bobby Kennedy, why he felt betrayed and what lessons it offers for today.
