James Baldwin’s 1963 classic The Fire Next Time provides an authentic experience of life as an African American man in the ‘60s. Baldwin also includes a letter written to his nephew where he offers advice which most would think is for his nephew, but some realize Baldwin is supplying his readers with advice as well. As Baldwin dives into ignorance among the white population and displaying the injustices African Americans experience, one can find a connection to the corruption in the justice system. Those caught in the corrupt system experience similar injustices and most of the public are ignorant to this fact leaving them with no room to care.
The United States has been living with a corrupt justice system since there was a mass incarceration. There are millions of people in prison for the wrong reasons or no reason at all. According to “Who's in Prison In America? Fast Facts About Incarcerated Americans,” “The US is the world leader in incarceration, but not all Americans are incarcerated equally.” Not only is America filling up jails and not looking for a better solution, but they are filling them with children, the mentally ill, and innocent people. Bryan Stevenson is an attorney who is fighting against these injustices as he is passionate about providing for those who do not have access to fair representation. This is why he started the Equal Justice Initiative, they are devoted to “ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society” (About the Equal Justice Initiative), where he and other lawyers attempt to correct some of the wrongdoing imposed by the justice system. He also wrote Just Mercy where he provides real cases he has worked on; the main plot of the book covers a case of an innocent man convicted of murder and sentenced the death penalty. Throughout the book, Stevenson also explains other cases he has worked on that involve juveniles, the mentally ill, and those with a low economic status. This book portrays obvious corruption in America’s justice system as there are people such as Stevenson who have to put their life work into repairing these malpractices.
One of the biggest corruptions in the system is based on race. An African American person is much more likely to be arrested and incarcerated than their white counterpart. As “Who's in Prison In America? Fast Facts About Incarcerated Americans” says, “People of color account for 37% of the US population, yet they represent 67% of the prison population. Black men are nearly six times as likely to be incarcerated as white men, and federal courts imposed prison sentences on black men that were 19% longer than those imposed on similarly situated white men between 2011 and 2016.” Not only African Americans, but Hispanics are more likely to be incarcerated as well. While some may be guilty, others are being arrested and placed in jail based on the way they look and their racial background not on if they actually committed the crime they are being convicted of. This bias also applies to juveniles as almost half are African American. These statistics reveal that it is easier for law enforcement to pick the black man. This can also be seen from Stevenson’s Just Mercy as he worked on a case where it was easier to pick the black man than face public pressure. Walter McMillan was convicted of murder and sentenced the death penalty when a white woman was killed. McMillan had a sound alibi and had never even met this woman, but the law enforcement in his town believed it was easier for them to choose him than to face the pressure of the public. This can be seen as Stevenson writes, “The monitoring ABI agents were left with nothing to suggest any relationship between Myers and McMillan and plenty of evidence indicating that the two men had never met. Still, they persisted with the McMillan theory. Time was passing-seven months, by this time-and the community was fearful and angry. Criticism was mounting. They desperately needed an arrest” (33). Stevenson also writes on racial bias in Walter’s case when he says, “But there was no evidence against McMillan-no evidence except that he was an African American man involved in an adulterous interracial affair, which meant that he was reckless and possibly dangerous, even if he had no prior criminal history and a good reputation. Maybe that was evidence enough” (34). In this way, Stevenson relates to Baldwin and The Fire Next Time as they both write on injustices of African Americans and how their lives differ from those of whites.
Walter’s story uncovers not only corruption on the law enforcement side, but also on the publics. The law enforcement in Walter’s town first arrested him because he was an easy target, but also because there was building pressure from the public. While it is understandable for people to want an answer, they need to understand it’s not simple to uncover the truth about a murder. The most important tool to have in this situation is empathy. The police need to have empathy for the public as they want an answer for closure to their grieving, but the public also needs to have empathy for those investigating as it’s not an elementary task. Chad Posick, an assistant professor of criminal justice and criminology at Georgia Southern University, wrote an article on the importance and effects of empathy in crime, punishment, and justice. To summarize, empathy is a key factor in these situations as it bridges the police to its community and allows for understanding on all ends. Posick also includes that adding empathy to police training is crucial for effective work and gains more respect and trust on the community’s side.
Another main connection to The Fire Next Time is Baldwin’s point of whites thinking they are innocent, but are truly ignorant. Most of the public today are ignorant to the fact that there is corruption in the justice system and people are being faced with cruelty for something they may not have done. This is because they aren’t the man facing death row, or the schizophrenic woman who has been serving thirty years and has yet to receive psychiatric help. On the other hand, people working for the justice system remain innocent and think they have done nothing wrong. Yet, they are able to go home peacefully while others are suffering. Orlando Edmonds, author of “Why James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time Still Matters,” writes on the Black Lives Matter Movement and its attackers as he writes, “Critics fault BLM for reintroducing the problem of race and its significance in a supposedly ‘post-racial society.’” This goes along with Baldwin’s thoughts of white ignorance as there has never not been an issue with race and white people are ignorant to that because they do not have to face it on a daily basis as African Americans do. This also relates to The Fire Next Time as Baldwin stated that America was celebrating black freedom too early with the Emancipation Proclamation. Edmonds’ statement of the problem of race and that America is a ‘post-racial society’ brings up the burning question: In 2018, is it still too soon to celebrate African American freedom?
The Fire Next Time is incredibly relevant especially to the corruption in the justice system. The main misconduct deals with race and racial bias which Baldwin also touches on. But, he states an unpopular opinion that blacks must accept whites when he writes, “The really terrible thing, old buddy, is that you must accept them. And I mean that very seriously. You must accept them and accept them with love. For these innocent people have no other hope. They are, in effect, still trapped in a history which they do not understand; and until they understand it, they cannot be released from it” (Baldwin 3). Baldwin is saying that white people need to be freed from their ignorance before there can be a truly fulfilling future for African Americans. This white ignorance is still seen today in many aspects. As touched on before, they believed that America was past the troubling times in terms of race, but they are not in a position to say whether that is true or not. Additionally, many are ignorant to the corruption in the justice system. This provides concrete evidence to Baldwin’s point that whites consider themselves innocent when they are truly ignorant to the real issues. On another note, Baldwin brings up economic status and its impact on a person’s life. Not only are African Americans more likely to be incarcerated, but if they have a low economic status, they are deeply in trouble because of the lack of fair representation. But, Baldwin advises to not allow American society to define oneself as he writes, “You can only be destroyed by believing that you really are what the white world calls a ni**er” (1). Baldwin is advising his nephew to not let the world around him define himself as that is what leads to oppression. This is similar to James 1: 9-10 in the Bible as it states, “Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wildflower.” For the most part, people of lower economic status are humble and thankful for what they are given. On the other hand, James states that those of high economic status are conceited and will be humiliated by their actions later on.
Baldwin ends his book with a heavy call to action. He explains the cruelty African American face when he writes, “I am, then, both visibly and legally the descendant of slaves in a white, Protestant country, and this is what it means to be an American Negro, this is who he is—a kidnapped pagan, who was sold like an animal and treated like one, who was once defined by the American Constitution as “three-fifths” of a man, and who, according to the Dred Scott decision, had no rights that a white man was bound to respect. And today, a hundred years after his technical emancipation, he remains—with the possible exception of the American Indian—the most despised creature in his country” (Baldwin 28). Baldwin is using genuine experience as well as government legislations to prove the harsh treatment he has been through. With this, he declares it needs to be put to an end. To paraphrase the next sentence, Baldwin is calling for revolutionary change in America. This goes hand in hand with the collapse of the criminal justice system as there is an urgent need for change. If actions are not taken today, they never will. Also as Baldwin states, it needs to be radical change. Small steps will never reach what needs to happen. Making one major change can fix many issues in today’s world. It will not only shows progress in America, but also take people out of unjust situations and save many more from being in those places.
Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time supplies readers with genuine insights on life as an African American. It can also be connected to many issues in present day America, especially in relation to corruption in the justice system. In the end, both issues of race and a fraudulent justice system call for action. Major changes need to occur to better the lives of millions of people.