Diplomacy

James Baldwin became a quintessential cultural diplomat through his literature like The White Man's Guilt, which conveyed themes of racism. 

In The White Man's Guilt, Baldwin interpreted that white supremacists hide behind the curtain of color and lies, attempting to justify their actions. Additionally, the history of oppression of Black Americans legitimized white vigilantism in their minds. This effective cultural diplomacy resonated with African-Americans and helped white Americans understand the brutality endured by every African-American life. Baldwin challenged white Americans to accept their history and move forward to join the civil rights movement.

On the contrary, Buckley's editorial, "Why the South Must Prevail," emphasized the message that white people were superior compared to African-Americans. He claimed that African-Americans were yearning for what was socially outdated, so, though undemocratic, white people needed to stymie the African-Americans’ civil rights efforts in order to enlighten themselves.

However, as the local government shifted to racist extremism by jailing protestors and killing any African-American aspirations for equality, Buckley's beliefs started to change. After the Klan’s bombing of the predominantly African-American 16th Street Baptist Church, Buckley’s views continued to shift.  His columns in the National Review ridiculed the "kooks and bigots" of the conservative movement and the practices that limited the African-American vote, even writing "Why We Need a Black President in 1980", supporting African-Americans and their fight for justice.

Tragically, Buckley left behind a strong ideology for the alternative right with an established newspaper—National Review—and inspired other conservatives such as Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan to run for political office and develop the new wave of conservatism.