#BannedBookSkyClub discussion of #TheFireNextTime by James Baldwin. What did you learn from reading The Fire Next Time that you did not know before? - ThreadSky

retired-librarian.bsky.social • 96 days ago

#BannedBookSkyClub discussion of #TheFireNextTime by James Baldwin.

What did you learn from reading The Fire Next Time that you did not know before?

Comments

ameliagarbo.bsky.social•90 days ago

The title of Ta-Nehisi Coates' book "Between the World and Me," though from a poem by Richard Wright, is also quoted in this book.

“That summer...all the fears with which I had grown up...now a part of me and controlled my vision of the world, rose up like a wall between the world and me...”

hearmeroar11.bsky.social•96 days ago

I could never know what it is like to be a black man in America, so reading the book and Baldwin's perspective was so important. It solidified that I should continue to listen to people when they share their experience, learn from them, and always strive to do better. And love.

chrissykres.bsky.social•94 days ago

Imagine what a great country we could live in if everyone made it a point to incorporate listening to and believing the experiences and perspectives of others. This is how we learn empathy.

hearmeroar11.bsky.social•94 days ago

The keyword in your reply is 'believing' - the hoops some people jump through to dismiss someone's experience or 'yeah, but' is a huge problem in our world

chrissykres.bsky.social•94 days ago

Some of the most formative reading of my life has been from authors writing vastly different experiences from mine; fiction included, poetry, essays... Hurston, Morrison, Lorde... what they taught me made me a better human

maemei35.bsky.social•94 days ago

The problem is that people often feel anything that is not already in their world view is an attack on them, and so respond defensively. If more people could take a pause and regulate themselves they'd be open to a vast array of different experiences and perspectives. It's sad.

thesjadventures.bsky.social•93 days ago

Agreed. They instantly seem to fear anything that differs from themselves.

hearmeroar11.bsky.social•94 days ago

Yes, wouldn't it be amazing if we all saw it as an opportunity rather than an attack?

hearmeroar11.bsky.social•94 days ago

100%

maemei35.bsky.social•94 days ago

I shockingly knew little of how the Muslim religion took root in the black community. Just finished the part where he met with Elijah Muhammad. The entire discourse on religion so far has been interesting.

thesjadventures.bsky.social•93 days ago

I had no idea either. I feel very ignorant about it all. So I’m glad I’ve read this book and started to learn.

v13enos7.bsky.social•89 days ago

I really enjoyed the discourse around these two religions. How they are perceived to be so different and have similar desired outcomes.

flootlady.bsky.social•52 days ago

Same! Same! Same!

scooper1958.bsky.social•95 days ago

I got a different description of Elijah Muhammad from that of Malcolm X.

v13enos7.bsky.social•89 days ago

This was a ton of new information for me too.

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