THE FIRE NEXT TIME by James Baldwin ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Original review written July 7, 2020)

It’s tough truths and a call to action. Words that sound so powerful today, but sting knowing they were meant to resonate 50 years ago.

I’ve never read anything from James Baldwin before. What a shame this is what it takes to get people, including me, to find him. A truly intelligent and passionate voice, with ideals and ideas that need to be heard (and surely have been heard for decades by people more aware to society’s ills before 2020). His concerns were and remain deeply valid. And hearing his account of personal experiences as a Black man in the first half of the 20th century adds historical depth, linking centuries of generations and injustice.

It’s hard to only now see the logic in his words from so long ago, logic that we need today so desperately. I can’t help but feel like Baldwin wouldn’t be surprised to hear that. The grasp he had on the true reality of America and race relations is astute, and is laid out here as if he was speaking his thoughts and emotions out loud for someone, anyone to listen. There’s notes of cynicism, but how could there not be? There’s also hope that maybe we can get it right and avoid “the fire next time".