Glaude (b. 1968) is an American academic specializing in race and religion in the US. His professional appointments and extensive publishing history speak to his expertise in the field. He is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, where he is also Chair of the Center for African American Studies and Chair of the Department of African American Studies. In addition to Begin Again, Glaude has published a book-length study of race and religion in 19th century America (2000), edited a collection of essays on Black Power and Black Nationalism (2002), and published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals. A well-respected voice in matters of race, Glaude is a contributor to the Huffington Post and a regular contributor and panelist for the State of the Black Union. He has also appeared on a variety of news programs on ABC, FOX, CNN, MSNBC, and C-Span.

Baldwin (1924-1987) was an American writer and activist who devoted his career to elucidating racial, sexual, and class distinctions in the US. His insights on racism serve as a touchstone in Glaude’s book. Glaude presents Baldwin not only as worthy of study in his own right, but also as a prescient observer of American society, whose writings remain highly salient in the Trump era.