The Fire Next Time in Today’s World

The Fire Next Time in today’s world

‘’Do I really want to be integrated into a burning house?’’ This question from 1963 is just as relevant in 2017.  It originated in The Fire Next time by James Baldwin (1963), published in a period when a civil rights revolution was sweeping the United States. The book contains two essays: "My Dungeon Shook: Letter to My Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation" and "Down at the Cross: Letter from a Region in My Mind." The first essay examines issues of racial inequality in America, such as the fact that the country sets limits to African Americans ambitions, taking away their freedom. Building on that thesis, Baldwin exposes the false sense of love and security that people think religion provides, and the rage and oppression that it actually inspires. These arguments are still relevant today, nearly 55 years later, because of some Americans’ ignorance which fuels violence and eventually leads to neglecting African Americans’ humanity 

First argument to consider is that to this day African Americans suffer the consequences of White Americans’ ignorance that turns into violence. In fact, a recent widely covered event in the United States: the shooting of Michael Brown, is a good example to study in order to understand the argument. On August 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri, an unarmed African American teenager was shot by a White police officer, who fired his gun 12 times, after identifying Brown as a possible suspect in a shop theft. That officer however never got indicted for his actions. This event can be looked at and critiqued using Malcom X’s theory. James Baldwin agrees, claiming that: ‘’In the United States, violence and heroism have been synonyms except when it comes to Black.’’ (P.58) Baldwin doesn’t find this theory untrue, he only disagrees with where it would lead, as it essentially condones violence. This theory means that, as soon as black people try to stand up for themselves, the idea of violence is perceived as senseless and brutal. However, when White people do the same thing, it’s completely acceptable and can advance their status. In fact, when Brown tried to stand up for himself, the officer thought that the teenager was being aggressive, which as mentioned earlier made the violence level escalate and caused the officer to shoot Brown. The act of violence in this situation is clearly the White officer’s, which was justified by little to no reason. His actions unfortunately and unsurprisingly were not fairly punished.

The second argument is that White Americans tend to neglect African Americans humanity; the fact that they are both equally human and equally free. In result, they knowingly or unknowingly destroy African Americans dreams, since they always expect less from them. As Baldwin argues, African Americans future is determined from the day there were born just because they were black. They are always told where to go, what to do, who they could marry, etc. In addition, they are often considered inferior by white Americans. As James Baldwin mentions, believing that leads to self destruction.  This is clearly shown with Michael Brown’s case. In fact, a Professor in the Department of Black Studies at UCSB, George Lipsitz, during a Harvard discussion panel entitled “Generations of Struggle’’ said: ‘’Michael Brown was dead before he was dead.” This means that the young man was actually destroyed by White people’s beliefs, just like Baldwin’s brother. ‘’I know what the world has done to my brother and how narrowly he has survived it.’’ (P.5), says Baldwin to appeal their cruelty. Baldwin’s point also lets us conclude that the White police officer suspected the African American teenager to be a thief as they ‘’were not expected to aspire to excellence’’.