On the hundredth anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation James Baldwin sits down to write two letters; one is to his nephew and the other to no one in particular. These two searing essays are combined into one brief collection titled the Fire Next Time. In it, Baldwin ruminates on the nature of freedom and the imperative task of confronting white supremacy, suggesting there can be no true former without the latter.
“My Dungeon Shook”, Baldwin’s letter to his nephew, could read as a shorthand form of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me. Aside from the brevity, the major difference is Baldwin sees white supremacy something to combat with constant struggle, Coates sees it as immutable. While there is certainly plenty of foreboding language, Baldwin ultimately entreats his nephew to “make America what America must become” (which is a great counter phrase to MAGA). And what America must become is free; no longer dependent on oppression. His tone is hopeful and his candid yet elegant conversation with his nephew is nothing short of heartwarming.
“Down at the Cross” reads like Marx’s brief critiques of religion, except where Marx sees religion and nationalism as a way to cope with the atrocities of capitalism, Baldwin sees them as a way of coping with white supremacy. The piece has two focal points; Baldwin’s own religious upbringing and his brief run-in with the Nation of Islam. Early in his life, Baldwin would come to choose between falling in with the church or with the streets, since these were the only choices America gave him. Baldwin loved the church, but ultimately its insistence on living for the afterlife and perseverance was too passive an approach and did not deal with reality. Baldwin was also unable to rationalize the existence of a higher being in the face of such stark inequality. The Nation of Islam seemingly juxtaposes the church with its fiery rhetoric and call to action (the segregation of an all-black society), but Baldwin effortlessly argues that civilization itself cannot accommodate even the most utopian of segregated societies because the toxicity of white supremacy demands the destruction or subjugation of the inferior. As the title implies, America cannot continue to survive while white supremacy still courses through its most sacred institutions and there is no true freedom until the decadence of America is no longer built on the backs of others. If we (Baldwin demands action from both whites and blacks, men and women) continue to fall into organizations that do nothing but distract from the painful realities of white supremacy or if we continue to do nothing but live our daily lives, then America will forever be a place that depends on suffering.
I recently read a Facebook exchange between two high school classmates. Evidently, someone they went to school with is currently an active member in an unabashed white supremacist group. This individual is a fourth-grade teacher. One classmate was of the opinion that this person needed to be outed, preferably fired, but certainly exposed for their beliefs. The other classmate felt this was bullying, that it would only drive the individual further into their hateful views and that we shouldn’t take action until we know their views are causing real harm. It is important to note that many Americans likely agree with what they imagine is the level-headed response of the classmate advocating the cautious approach to the white supremacist teacher. It is also important to note that these Americans are trying, perhaps (and even most likely) unknowingly, to preserve a country built on racism. To them, a rational society must tolerate viewpoints, even intolerance itself. The Fire Next Time serves as a warning should we decide not to confront this very thinking. If we ever want the abolition of racism, we can never allow it a moment's comfort.
