Activist, policymaker, and poet Mustafa Santiago Ali imagines a midnight conversation with Baldwin on what would have been his 100th birthday.

It’s midnight once again, James, and I find myself in conversation with your ghost. The room is quiet, but your words echo loudly, carving through the silence, shaping thoughts, igniting fires. Your centennial, a hundred years since your birth, feels like a celestial event, an alignment of history and truth. Your words still resonate in the psyche of those awake, those willing to confront the world’s shadows.

“If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don’t see.”

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Your declaration was both a warning and a promise, a reminder that love is not passive, not a gentle whisper but a mighty roar. It’s a call to awaken, to see beyond the veil, to understand the brutal realities hidden in plain sight. How do we continue to give sight to those afraid to view the world as it is? How do we give voice to those afraid to speak?

Our people, James, still carry the weight of centuries, the scars of battles fought and yet to be won. We are a tapestry of resilience, stitched together by threads of pain and defiance, love and survival. Your centennial is a testament to our endurance, to the unbroken spirit of those who refuse to be silenced. We find the strength to fight, speak, and see in your memory.

Racism and bigotry, those twin specters, still haunt our land. They morph and mutate, but their essence remains the same — an insidious force that seeks to divide, dehumanize, and destroy. Your words, a lighthouse cutting through the fog, remind us that the battle is far from over. We are still facing the same demons you did, wrestling with the same truths you unearthed.

But your legacy is not just one of struggle. It is also one of profound love and unyielding hope. You believed in the power of love to transform, to heal, to liberate. You taught us that love is a radical act, a form of resistance, a path to liberation. In a world that preaches hate, your love is a revolutionary force, a beacon that lights our way.

How would you see the future, James? You would see both the promise and peril with your sharp, discerning eyes. You would see our progress and the mountains yet to climb. You would remind us that the fight for justice is ongoing and that we must continue pushing, demanding, and dreaming. Your centennial is a call to action, a reminder that we must keep moving forward, guided by your wisdom and your love.

In the quiet of the night, I hold this pen in your memory, fearlessly fighting for the light. Your words, a compass, guide me through the darkness. They remind me that to love is to see, to know, to act. It is to stand in the face of oppression and refuse to be broken. It is to speak truth to power, lift up those who have been silenced, and shine a light on the hidden corners of our world.

Remembering you, James, on your 100th birthday is not just an act of reflection. It is a commitment to continue your work, honor your legacy, and carry forward the torch you lit. Your centennial is a moment to celebrate, but it is also a moment to renew our vows to the struggle, to the fight for justice, for equality, and for love.

Your words still resonate, James, in the hearts and minds of those who dare to dream, who dare to see. They remind us that love is not a passive state but an active force, a powerful weapon in the fight against injustice. We still need you, James, your wisdom, your courage, your love. We still need your voice, your vision, your light.

In your centennial light, we rise, we speak, we see. We honor you, James, not just by remembering, but by acting, by loving, by fighting. We carry your legacy forward, guided by your spirit, fueled by your love. Your words, a flame that never dies, continue to illuminate our path. And as we move forward, we do so with the knowledge that we are not alone, that you are with us, that your love, your truth, your light, will guide us home.

(Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali is a thought leader, strategist, policymaker, and activist committed to justice and equity. He is the founder of Revitalization Strategies, a business focused on moving our most vulnerable communities from “surviving to thriving.” Mustafa was previously the senior vice president for the Hip Hop Caucus, a national non-profit and non-partisan organization that connects the hip-hop community to the civic process to build power and create positive change.)