The Fire Next Time: Facing the Mirror of History with James Baldwin

Joseph Stuart, Professor of History at Brigham Young University, will explore the eloquent storm of James Baldwin’s classic The Fire Next Time. Written in 1963, at the height of the civil rights movement, this unsparing call for national soul-searching tilts toward our deepest hopes of harmony. “It is the unutterable truth,” Baldwin later said, “all men are brothers. That’s the bottom line.” A searing dive of honesty into himself and the country’s conscience, the writer from Harlem never fails to lift us, even in our shortcomings. Until we understand ourselves, “trapped” in histories and attitudes we scarcely see, we cannot understand each other. Such mirroring is at the heart of Baldwin’s solution for racial and societal peace. Dr. Stuart will give a talk and engage us in a Q&A. A big thanks to The Compass Gallery for hosting (250 West Center Street Suite 101 Provo, Utah 84601)

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