After watching the clips of James Baldwin in class I had a newfound respect for people who can make a speech capture and keep the attention of their audience. Baldwin takes subjects such as discrimination and the status of his hometown of harlem and explains them in a way that makes you feel as if you were with him in Harlem witnessing the struggle for power amongst blacks and whites.
Baldwin took a lot of time to hone his skill and become the speaker and writer he was. The fact that he spent everyday in the library as a kid, expanding his knowledge is what made him a great writer. Everyone can learn from Baldwins work ethic and become a better writer.Watching Baldwin speak made reading The Fire Next Time more interesting and brought the issues he was speaking about to life. He tells the story of a harsh reality for African Americans during his time period in a way that is relatable for everyone. He states : “Every Negro boy-in my situation during those years, at least-who reaches this point realizes, at once, profoundly, because he wants to live, that he stands in great peril and must find, with speed, a “thing’, a gimmick, to lift him out, to start him on his way.And it does not matter what that gimmick is. Baldwin explains that the boys in his community are so desperate to escape from being oppressed by the people around him and will do anything that will give them the ability to survive, even if that means sacrificing what they are truly capable of. This idea is still present in todays society. People choose the route that will be easier to achieve instead of taking the long hard road towards their passions. Baldwin deserves a lot of respect for sticking to writing and going towards a good path instead of the following the path the boys in his community took towards temptation that would create vices for themselves.
