The Fire Next Time: James Baldwin

Overview:  In preparation for our reading of Toni Morrison's Beloved, I would like you to explore the work of James Baldwin.  He is an important writer.  Period. Toni Morrison wrote of his influence on her work as an author, and we need his voice today more than ever.  He cut through the "single story" and examined what Margaret Atwood called "the how and why."  He spoke publicly, wrote essays, and got to the heart of American racism through literature.


Directions:  View the documentary and read the two short stories (you will view the documentary in class).  Next, compose a thoughtful blog post using evidence from all three works in an attempt to explore one of the complex issues Baldwin examined in his discussion of race in America.  Be okay with feeling uncomfortable.  Ask questions.  Look for feedback.  Also, practice kindness.  We can discuss these matters with passion AND civility.


I Am Not Your Negro (2017) 

We will begin viewing the documentary. In 1979, James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next project, "Remember This House." The book was to be a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and assassinations of three of his close friends: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. At the time of Baldwin's death in 1987, he left behind only 30 completed pages of this manuscript. Filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished.  How can Baldwin's ideas be used to inform us today?  Can you cite instances in the documentary that opened your eyes, and show us how you see this drama playing out in 2018?

Here is a helpful study guide: 
http://learn.kera.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/I-Am-Not-Your-Negro-DG-Film-Club.pdf

"Sonny's Blues" (1957) by James Baldwin

The first-person narrator of "Sonny's Blues" tells the story of his relationship with his younger brother, Sonny. The story begins with narrator, saddened by his brother's choices, reflecting back on their childhood, wondering what caused his brother to become an addict.  How does Baldwin use jazz as a means of discussing the complex emotions of his characters?  This is the most anthologized of Baldwin's stories.  However, how would this story end up perpetuating "the danger of the single story?"

http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/wooda/2B-HUM/Readings/Baldwin-Sonnys-Blues.pdf

"Going to Meet the Man" (1965) by James Baldwin

For many individuals, the relationships that exist between family members are the strongest and most influential human connections that the person will ever experience within his or her lifetime. These bonds, formed in early psycho-social development, have the potential to permanently define how a person views his or her world. Through the eyes of Jesse, we see how racism is handed down from generation to generation in one of the most graphic scenes in the literary canon.  Using moments from the story, where are you seeing similar instances in the world today?

http://www.blacklivesmattersyllabus.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/going_to_meet_the_man.pdf