I found the book interesting and often powerful, especially Baldwin’s personal experiences with Christianity, his relationship with his father, and his meeting with Elijah Muhammad, which helped ground his ideas. But my main issue is that while he raises a lot of big, compelling arguments, he often assumes the reader already understands things he never fully explains. He’s very good at diagnosing problems but less clear about solutions, particularly with his claim that Black liberation depends on white liberation, which he never really defines in practical terms. The idea of “the fire next time” works as a strong warning, but it’s also vague, especially given that Baldwin doesn’t actually believe in divine punishment, so the book ends up feeling more like a moral plea than a clear argument.
by Acepokeboy