Baldwin vs Buckley - Charleston Festival

‘The American dream is at the expense of the American Negro.’-

Motion of the 1965 debate, University of Cambridge

In 1965, to a packed chamber at the University of Cambridge, writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin powerfully dismantled the injustices at the heart of the ‘American dream’. Televised across the world, the debate against conservative intellectual William F Buckley, came to be seen as one of the most important debates on race relations in America.

To mark the centenary of James Baldwin’s birth, Charleston Festival of the Garden re-create this legendary debate between two intellectual titans of the times, with BAFTA nominee and star of ‘It’s a Sin’ and ‘I Hate Suzie Too’, Omari Douglas and Talk Art podcast host and star of ‘Being Human’, Russell Tovey alongside National Youth Theatre.

Following a 15-minute interval, there will be a reflection and Q&A on the historical relevance of this debate with vocalist, essayist and historian David McAlmont.