Throughout his life, Baldwin was recognized not only for his achievements in literature but also for his work in the Civil Rights struggle and for his efforts to facilitate understanding and respect between all people. Private institutions, public organizations, and government agencies all chose to honor him in their own ways:
1945 Eugene F. Saxon Fellowship
1948 Rosenwald Fellowship
1954 Guggenheim Fellowship and the MacDowell Colony Fellowship
1956 Partisan Review Fellowship and a grant from the National Institute of Arts and Letters
1959 Ford Foundation Grant
1961 Certificate of Recognition from the National Conference on Christians and Jews
1963 George Polk Memorial Award
1964 Honorary Degree from City University of New York
1965 Martin Luther King Memorial medal and an Honorary Degree from the University of Massachusetts
1981 Best Nonfiction Award from Playboy Magazine
1982 French Legion of Honor from Francois Mitterrand
