Emotional Analysis Of James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time

“All the fears with which I had grown up, and which were now a part of me and controlled my vision of the world, rose up like a wall between the world and me” is an iconic line from the essay by James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time. Baldwin was, and still is, an icon for the black nation as struggles continue to unfold in American history. His personal narratives in the 1960s and 70s gave hope for the Civil Rights and gay liberation movement, since his experiences reflected much of the population fighting for equality. Even though Baldwin passed three decades ago, a successor has followed to continue inspiring African Americans in a new light representative of the current age, Ta-Nehisi Coates. His career peaked in 2015 when he published Between
In spite of this, he does not embody the generalized definition of activism in which most believe a sort of protest must be ensued. Coates does, however, represent activism in the same way Baldwin did—by utilizing his writing as a “moral force” for the social movement. Both authors give moral reasoning for these movements to continue forward, just like how MLK maintained the moral foundation of the Civil Rights era. Essentially, their work ensures the moral argument for equal rights stays alive despite the constant backlash. More importantly, the two share a common writing style, not grammatically, but conceptually. The two writers demonstrate an almost identical “forensic, analytical, cold-eyed stare down of white moral innocence.” Like Baldwin, Coates continues to see an unfolding of racism and discrimination specifically within America. Thus, he extends rather than replicates the ideals of Baldwin while itemizing the struggles of African Americans. By speaking, publishing, and creating, Coates is able to not only impact his audience, but articulate the battles of the movement through different means. In recent times, he has created a new series of the Black Panther comic book, been a visiting professor at MIT, developed the foundations for a feature film with Michael B. Jordan, and framed a television series based off of Martin Luther King. Some may say his actions do not represent activism, however, all of these projects have progressed and illustrated the need for political, economic, and social reform for African Americans—which is the main premise of activism. Therefore, Coates is an activist of today without the need to protest, simply due to his empowering and stimulating pieces that push others to join the