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Elijah Muhammad

Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975) was the leader of the Nation of Islam from 1933-1975. The Nation of Islam was an American political and religious movement that believed Black people should create a nation and economy separate from the United States. In “Down at the Cross,” Baldwin describes having dinner with Elijah Muhammad and discussing racial tension in America. Ultimately, Baldwin decides that they are very different people with different goals, despite agreeing on many of the same problems.

Malcolm X

Malcolm X (1925-1965) was a civil rights activist, orator, and for much of his life, the second-in-command of the Nation of Islam. As opposed to the peaceful protests of Martin Luther King, Jr., he often advocated for more forceful conflict. He and Baldwin appeared on several different television programs to discuss racial tension in the United States. While he and Baldwin agreed on many points, Baldwin did not agree with most of Malcolm X’s proposed solutions. 

Robert F. (Bobby) Kennedy

Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968), the brother of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, was also the Attorney General in his brother’s administration. He then became a U.S. Senator and was assassinated while running for president. He was a strong advocate for the civil rights movement. Baldwin mentions Robert Kennedy several times in the book, as an ally to Black Americans, but as part of the liberal movement that was still limited by the mindset of white America. In multiple entries, Baldwin mentions that Kennedy stated that a Black person could be president in 40 years.

Ham

In the Old Testament, one of Noah’s sons. By tradition, the descendants of Ham are credited with populating the Middle East and Africa. The Bible records that Ham’s family line was cursed by Noah, a fact Europeans later used to justify the enslavement of Africans. Baldwin refers to Ham and the curse several times in “Down at the Cross.”

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