The Fire Next Time, By James Baldwin

America is the land of the free and home of the brave but is that really the case? As any American would say during the 1960’s, the color of your skin dictates your power and freedom in society. James Baldwin shares his stories growing up as a black man in a struggling country, ran by “white devils” in his book The Fire Next Time. By conjoining as one power in our country, Baldwin explains “We can make America what America must become”(10). Our country to this day is adapting to the inevitable change and our advances in social justice to not only blacks but everyone of all types. To begin with, we live in a society where if we see something different or against the social norm we initially judge that person. James Baldwin offers an insight from his own life experiences to show how we must advance as a nation to become more accepting and loving of others. Baldwin emphasizes “must” as a …show more content…
Baldwin explains white Americans all within in a negative light. There is no such thing as a perfect human being, regardless of their gender, sexuality or skin color. He mocks America for not “ dealing honorably with Mexicans and Indians and all other neighbors or inferiors”(101). As an adapting nation, us Americans must learn from our past in dealing with foreign countries. Nations today look to America for help in war, medical needs, environmental issues, and terrorism. The past is in the past and we as a country can not change but learn from it. In addition to our foreign relationships, Baldwin tells the myth that “American men are the world’s most direct and virile, and that American women are pure”(101). This adds to the point that nobody is perfect in any country. There is no such thing as a “perfect white” or “perfect black” human being. We are all made of the same things & bringing others down, only degrades yourself. Once we come to this realization as a nation, we can become what we must