The Fire Next Time is a collection of two separate essays written by James Baldwin released during the Civil Rights Movement. Both essays give a detailed examination of the ongoing racial struggles taking place in the United States at the time of their publication. Mr. Baldwin goes into great detail about the underlying issues which are contributing to the racial tension in the U.S. Baldwin also provides some worthwhile advice on how to go about repairing the crumbling American populace. Although the ideals and practices supported by Mr. Baldwin emerged from an era long ago, one must recognize how they came about, and how they can still be integrated into today 's society. To fully understand some of the darker concepts portrayed throughout
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(Baldwin 77). Baldwin, being born in 1924, grew up in what would be considered a troubling time for any African American male (James Baldwin Bio pg. 3). He formed a career as a writer where he published numerous essays dealing with racial discrimination. Baldwin had experienced the downside of a corrupt American society first hand, which made his work more appealing to the general populace. “The twenty-thousand word essay, unlike anything the New Yorker had ever printed before, was published as “Letter from a Region in My Mind” causing the magazine’s sales to soar” (James Baldwin Bio 211). Baldwin found a way to express the extreme hatred he dealt with to the public, while also providing a solution to the rapidly expanding …show more content…
He went on to criticize the people of America at the time, particularly religious peoples, many of which at the time belonged to Christianity or Islam. Not only were African Americans facing oppression from political and social systems, but also from organized religion. Baldwin saw Christian teachings as contradictory to the way many of the churchgoers treated African Americans. When talking about the Christian God Baldwin states “…If his love was so great, and if He loved all His children, why were we, the blacks cast down so far?” (Baldwin 31). Baldwin derived his own solution for what he considered to be a decaying America, and he directly thought Islam and Christianity contradicted what he was working for. “If the concept of God has any validity or any use, it can only be to make us larger, freer, and more loving. If God cannot do this, then it is time we got rid of him” (Baldwin 47). One can easily see how The Fire Next Time was a direct result of a torn society and how Baldwin’s work contributed to the Civil Rights Movement, but just as important is whether or not Baldwin’s humanitarian strategy to unite the nation can still be put to use
(Baldwin 77). Baldwin, being born in 1924, grew up in what would be considered a troubling time for any African American male (James Baldwin Bio pg. 3). He formed a career as a writer where he published numerous essays dealing with racial discrimination. Baldwin had experienced the downside of a corrupt American society first hand, which made his work more appealing to the general populace. “The twenty-thousand word essay, unlike anything the New Yorker had ever printed before, was published as “Letter from a Region in My Mind” causing the magazine’s sales to soar” (James Baldwin Bio 211). Baldwin found a way to express the extreme hatred he dealt with to the public, while also providing a solution to the rapidly expanding …show more content…
He went on to criticize the people of America at the time, particularly religious peoples, many of which at the time belonged to Christianity or Islam. Not only were African Americans facing oppression from political and social systems, but also from organized religion. Baldwin saw Christian teachings as contradictory to the way many of the churchgoers treated African Americans. When talking about the Christian God Baldwin states “…If his love was so great, and if He loved all His children, why were we, the blacks cast down so far?” (Baldwin 31). Baldwin derived his own solution for what he considered to be a decaying America, and he directly thought Islam and Christianity contradicted what he was working for. “If the concept of God has any validity or any use, it can only be to make us larger, freer, and more loving. If God cannot do this, then it is time we got rid of him” (Baldwin 47). One can easily see how The Fire Next Time was a direct result of a torn society and how Baldwin’s work contributed to the Civil Rights Movement, but just as important is whether or not Baldwin’s humanitarian strategy to unite the nation can still be put to use