James Baldwin is an incredible and articulate speaker that came from the most unfortunate of situations in Harlem. His writing, “The Fire Next Time,” is an absolutely amazing piece describing the difficulties he faced in Harlem during a specific summer when he was fourteen years old. The discrimination he felt growing up in as a “negro” in a “white’s world.” His descriptions of the way he lived and the problems happening within himself and around him are incredible. However, I believe that the most incredible part of the piece is that he writes how he speaks. After watching videos on how he articulates himself in interviews illustrated, to me, that the way he writes and the way he speaks are almost the same. His speaking and his writing has had such a profound effect on numerous people and especially during the 50s and 60s, when the Civil Rights Movement was at its peak. James Baldwin is another example for me of how important speech and articulation is.
In the world of writing, the way one articulate’s oneself on an everyday basis has a great effect on how one writes. James Baldwin is a clear example. After reading his piece and listening to him speak, one becomes mesmerized in everything that he has to say and everything that he writes. He speaks with such fluidity and writes the same way; utilizing some of the best adjectives and descriptions. This allows me to realize how important speech can really be. The better you become at writing and speaking, the more influence you can have on others, the world, and on yourself. You can make yourself a better person with a better situation, while doing this for others as well. Baldwin did it for himself and for others, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did for others, and today we have countless speakers who are so amazing that when they speak all we can do is listen, whether we agree with them or not, such as our President.
Speech and writing go hand in hand. Baldwin exemplified this throughout his life. After listening to him speak, however, I see how articulation is so important in our lives because it leads to better writing and better opportunities for ourselves.
