The Fire Next Time By James Baldwin

James Baldwin understood the immense effects of racial injustice and racism, and by writing The Fire Next Time Baldwin withstands these constant problems that oppress African Americans and leads others to stand against racism as well. Baldiwn strengthens his argument by using first person point of view to show his perspective on the injustice African Americans face, he also appeals to ethos by using empathy to have an emotional reaction from his audience; white people. As well as kairos to show urgency on creating racial equality in the nation.

Baldwin begins the book with a letter to his nephew and gives him advice on how to handle America because African American people have continuously had to handle resentment and violence from white

They had their rights seized from them and were constantly overlooked by white people. African Americans were told to, “wait. And all this happening in the richest and freest country in the world” (Baldwin 55). African American people were told to wait for their freedoms of oppression and hate, in addition, they were told to wait for their rights to come. But this leads to confusion in the African American community, they are in America, the land of the free. They should have been able to acquire the same rights that white people had. Unfortunately these rights were taken from them and instead African Americans were treated with discrimination and harassment instead. Baldwin is able to use this information as a way to connect to the empathy of white Americans and attempt for them to understand how cruel they have been to African Americans. Furthermore, Baldwin shares his experience on his conversations with other Civil Rights Activists , one man states that “The white man sure is the devil. He proves that by his own actions” (Baldwin 65). Baldwin italics the word “is” to show emphasis that the white man is a devil. Many people at the time of the Civil Rights Movement were christian and the devil is frowned upon in the catholic religion. The word devil is a term to phrase something that is cruel and despicable, the word devil contains a strong negative emotion. Understanding that the word devil is a negative thing; using the word to describe someone, promptly shows that said person is an abhorrent person. Baldwin uses this quote to appeal to the ethos of white people. He wants white people to feel shame for what they have done to African Americans, in addition, Baldiwn wants white people to feel empathy for what African Americans had to go through because of the discrimination and violence white people brought upon African