Debate: Baldwin Vs. Buckley

“Is the American Dream at the expense of the American Negro?” This was the topic on February 18, 1965 when an overflow crowd packed the Cambridge Union in Cambridge, England, to bear witness to a historic televised debate between James Baldwin, the leading literary voice of the civil rights movement, and William F. Buckley Jr., a fierce critic of the movement and America’s most influential conservative intellectual. DEBATE: BALDWIN VS. BUCKLEY recreates the epic confrontation that pitted Baldwin’s call for a moral revolution in race relations against Buckley’s unabashed elitism and implicit commitment to white supremacy. This historic clash reveals the deep roots and lasting legacy of racial conflict that continues to haunt America.

DEBATE: BALDWIN VS. BUCKLEY was called, “utterly captivating” by The Guardian in London. New York Magazine remarked, “Highbrow/Brilliant.” and Broadway World raved, “One of the most compelling examples of political theater I’ve seen in years.”

The West Coast premiere of DEBATE: BALDWIN VS. BUCKLEY runs from May 2 to May 11, 2025, with the opening on May 2, 2025. Performances will take place at the Ebony Repertory Theatre’s Studio Space in the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center (4718 West Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles). Performance schedule is Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. The production runs 60 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are $25 and are available at EbonyRep.org or by phone at 323-964-9766. For more information, visit theamericanvicarious.org.