4 thoughts on “Response to “The Fire Next Time” (pp. 67-80) by James Baldwin”

1. 

   The part that stood out to me the most about this section of the book was how radical Elijah Muhammad was. I felt like Baldwin’s conversation with Muhammad strongly served to justify Baldwin’s opposition to the Nation of Islam. Muhammad mentioned that white people were synonymous with the devil. Muhammad is strongly convinced that white people are the devil that Allah’s scientists created. I am assuming that there should be no positive connotation to calling someone a devil, so when Baldwin defends his friend Mary and Muhammad replies saying “Well, she’s all right,” it seems as if Muhammad is back-tracking with his past words. This only serves to reinforce Baldwin’s past beliefs that the people in general who preach black supremacy, Muhammad especially due to his prominence, are kind of frauds. I think that Baldwin understands he is allowed to defend white people since he himself is a black man. Baldwin is allowed to be brash and outright since he understands Muhammad will simply believe it to be brainwashing. It is highly likely that Muhammad has met and conversed with several other individuals whom have stated the same words that Baldwin states in their conversation.

2. 

   Elijah Muhammad’s group stood out the most in this section of the book because of their quick agreement to everything Muhammad says. Baldwin once made a small comment of how dangerous a person is when they have nothing to lose and described Muhammad that way. The interesting thing about this is that it wasn’t just Muhammad who believed his words but also the group in his home. If Baldwin had went on he would have described Muhammad’s group as dangerous because of their goals and non-caring nature.
   Baldwin risks losing the ability to be a part of a brotherhood by being forthright with Elijah as Elijah wouldn’t approve of Baldwin’s associations with white people. Baldwin purposely casts away the idea of trying to convince Muhammad and his group of the diversity in white people. Baldwin believes that it is impossible to change a person’s experiences and so gives up on trying to make Muhammad and his group more open minded. Baldwin when he gives up the address to a white person’s home risks Elijah’s disapproval of his actions. It’s interesting how Baldwin addresses Elijah as if he were his father almost showing respect to Muhammad but also fearing him. This duality of the way Baldwin views Elijah is what makes their relationship interesting, Baldwin comments on how there could be a point in time where he could view Muhammad as an enemy.

3. 

   In this section of the book, the beginning and end stood out to me. Elijah Muhammad sounds like a mad man. He was calling white men devils, and “these monstrous creatures.” I thought it was very interesting to see the way Elijah Muhammad thinks and how he views Allah’s plans. I think the risks of James Baldwin being so forthright with someone like Elijah Muhammad was maybe offending him. When Baldwin was saying, “Elijah, I should imagine, has had nothing to lose since the day he saw him father’s blood rush out.” I felt like Baldwin trying to express his thoughts on white people would offend him after considering Muhammad went through such tragedy. At the end of this section, when Baldwin and Muhammad were standing together, Baldwin said, “I felt that I knew something of his pain and his fury, and, yes even his beauty.” I didn’t completely understand that, but I felt like Baldwin kind of understood Elijah’s point of view.

4. 

   The ending stood out to me when Baldwin was speaking about how the African American person should remember their past and use that as a motivation to change their situation. To accept whatever has been done to them and aim for something greater. It was interesting when he said that “the american Negro can have no future anywhere, on any continent, as long as he is willing to accept his past.” And he was speaking about how the creation of a separate economy is really just a fantasy that cannot be used. Baldwin risks being shamed and attacked for being so upright with someone like Elijah. Elijah is a radical person and for someone to go against him would make him angry.

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