Identity has become an unavoidable part of people’s lives. Our identities have become our vectors and are defined by what we do and the reasons behind the acts. As much as people may want to believe that their identity is irrelevant, in reality, they often affect the way other people perceive them. There are many aspects of one’s identity. Therefore, every action that a person takes can have different meanings and implications to different people and thus people have become concerned about shaping their identities. Shaping and defending our identities has become more real to us than achieving our humanity.
James Baldwin argues that identities should not influence the way we treat other people. Instead of people being concerned with shaping and defending their identities, they should work towards unifying all people so that the society can live in harmony. In the early 1960s, by virtue of their racial identities, the whites oppressed the black people, and the relationship between the two races was complicated (Baldwin 23). As a result of the oppression, African American people faced a lot of psychological impediments that made them view themselves to be the inferior race. The whites did not realize the hardships that blacks go through and thus Baldwin says, “You must put yourself in the skin of a black man (Baldwin 24). With that, maybe the whites will be able to know how it feels to be an African American in a white-dominated American society.
The issue of racial identity has persisted over a long time, and it keeps springing up now and then, and the minority race ends up living in oppression. According to Mr. Baldwin, race has become one of the dominant forms of identity in societies that want to use it to satisfy the social system. As a result, a certain group of people had to suffer tragic consequences due to their racial identity. In the essay Letter to My Nephew, Mr. Baldwin claims that his nephew will experience challenges in his personal development by virtue of his race (Baldwin 23). Rather than using force, he advises his nephew to use compassion which would result in transformation of the nation. Disconnection of racial identity as being the main form of human identity is important as it has greatly eroded the older and more reasonable forms of human identity. It is good news that the changes in the modern society have resulted to the disintegration of the race ideology to some extent.
While addressing his nephew, Mr. Baldwin points out to the various hardships that blacks face as a result of living in a society dominated by whites. The distorted view of the humanity and worth of blacks that the white had is not true, and blacks should not accept it. Justice should not only be for a selected people of the society, but it should be for all. If there is no justice for all, then there is not justice at all. What he wanted is that people live in unity regardless of their race or religion. Though he sees it as impossible, he has hope for the future that the will be achievement of the impossible:
“I know that what I'm asking is impossible. But in our time, as in every time, the impossible is the least that one can demand—and one is, after all, emboldened by the spectacle of human history in general, and American Negro history in particular, for it testifies to nothing less than the perpetual achievement of the impossible.”- Baldwin 102
We should believe in the hope for the transformation of a better future of the society. Everyone has a role to play by using compassion and love for a better understanding of the problems that exist in the society. Mr. Baldwin claims that they everyone has the chance of making everything right and that they should put their efforts to ensure that they achieve the impossible lest it would be the “fire next time.” (Baldwin 60) We should believe in the achievement of the impossible and ensure justice for the minorities and the poor. The message that James Baldwin tries to put across is both urgent and compelling. That people should strive to change the society into a better place to be for everybody, where humanity is more important than our identities.
A consequence of racial identities is that people formed religious identities. On one occasion Mr. Baldwin visited the Nation of Islam movement leader Elijah Muhammad. The leader had a view that the blacks should separate from the whites and form their own nation. He had been able to redeem a lot of black people by telling them that God is black and further, that all black men belonged to Islam and not Christianity, which their black God had chosen them (Baldwin 65). People always want to rationalize their actions and give moral reasons for such actions (Saul 7). The action of inventing a version of Islam with a black God gave a lot of hope to the black people and had a dream of a better future from the thought that they had their own God. However, this is only forming another religious identity separate from Christianity so as to feel a sense of belonging – at least the Black God will redeem them!
Apart from the version of Islam the Nation of Islam group had, Christianity also did not do a good job in eliminating the racial tension that existed between the whites and the blacks. Instead, people hide in the Christian identity which has short-circuited their thinking and compassion and therefore not doing much in ensuring humanity in the society. Mr. Baldwin claims that he decided to join the church so as to flee from the dangers that the streets possessed (Baldwin 34). He had no high motives for entering the church ministry, but when he entered he had the opportunity to be independent and at least had some power to counter the ideologies of his father (Baldwin 41). Later he comes to realize that the church as hypocritical and develops theories that affect the society. For America to achieve its full potential, then it should not only concentrate Christianity teachings but use their personal perceptions and experiences. Both whites and blacks believed what the church taught them without even questioning a single doubt that they had. Christian teachings have blinded their thoughts and truth and that they must believe what the Church has to teach without any questions (Baldwin 45). The country is handicapped by the narrow thinking of its people that they had to stick to their religious beliefs without realizing the real problems in the society.
Despite all of this, a deep hurting of the heart compelled Mr. Baldwin to hope where they seemed to be despair. To prevent the fire next time, both black and white people to take it as their duty as a whole nation to end the racial nightmare and free their country. Eventually, this would result in a change in the history of the world. Mr. Baldwin, however, states that people should not resort to vengeance as it is not the answer. Vengeance is a recipe for murder. Reject the placing value depending on one’s skin color. He has hope for a better future, and all should also have hope for a better future. A person can become truly moral, and we must believe in that possibility. Only then will the society be redeemed. The people should look back at their history and fight to abolish slavery and other forms of oppression (Butler 45)
Conclusion
The two essays, Down the Cross and Letter to My Nephew from James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, portray the role of racial and religious identities have on the tension that exists among different people of the society. In the essay Down the Cross, Mr. Baldwin portrays the role that religions had in perpetuating the racial problem. The two religions fueled a spirit of confrontation between the two races which was not close to bringing a solution to the problem. The ideals that people should strive for are freedom and respect which would offer a transformation and a lasting solution. In the essay Letter to My Nephew, Mr. Baldwin tells the young generation not to resort to violence in solving the “Negro Problem” but rather use understanding and compassion.
Formation of racial and religion identities and looking down on another people who do not belong to those identities as inferior is not good for the overall well-being of the society. By using their perceptions and personal experiences, people can change the problems that face the society and reach to lasting solutions. People should not concentrate on shaping and defend their identities at the cost of humanity. Rather, they should ensure that whatever their actions are, they are for the betterment of the society.
Works Cited
Alinsky, Saul. Rules for radicals. Vintage, 2010.
Baldwin, James. The fire next time. Vintage, 1963.
Butler, Octavia E. "Parable of the Sower. 1993." New York: Grand Central (2000).
