The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin ♥

Publisher’s introduction:

A national bestseller when it first appeared in 1963, The Fire Next Time galvanized the nation, gave passionate voice to the emerging civil rights movement—and still lights the way to understanding race in America today.

At once a powerful evocation of James Baldwin’s early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice, the book is an intensely personal and provocative document from the iconic author of If Beale Street Could Talk and Go Tell It on the Mountain. It consists of two “letters,” written on the occasion of the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, that exhort Americans, both black and white, to attack the terrible legacy of racism. Described by The New York Times Book Review as “sermon, ultimatum, confession, deposition, testament, and chronicle…all presented in searing, brilliant prose,” The Fire Next Time stands as a classic of literature.

Discussion facilitated by

Mehrsa Baradaran

Professor of Law and Associate Dean

for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

UCI School of Law

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

5:45–7:15 p.m.

This is a virtual event. Zoom login details will be sent to all those who RSVP.

Members of the UCI community have free access to the book through the library here.

Register

The CLEAR Perspectives series serves as an informal setting to examine issues of concern to marginalized individuals and communities. At each meeting, discussion will be informed and guided by specific readings or films focusing on a particular issue or demographic.