Integration as Acceptance: Martin Luther King and Malcolm X in the Context of 'The Fire Next Time' Amber Thomas College

America claims to be a ‘melting pot,’ a land in which people of all cultures, backgrounds, and ethnicities come together to live in peace and prosperity. This assertion of acceptance and shared culture is merely a goal to strive towards and, unfortunately, is not nearly a reality. In actuality, different races, religions, and practices are often oppressed by American society, in particular, the black population. The constant oppression of the African American races dates back to Pre-Civil War America; black social progressives have been long at work fighting for true acceptance and integration of America. One progressive in particular, James Baldwin, fought for black liberation during a tumultuous time in American history. Through his 1963 novel, The Fire Next Time, Baldwin contemplates the controversial topic of integration, asserting that integration is based off of the acceptance of America’s past, one’s fellow citizens, and one’s self. Baldwin relates to other social progressives of the time, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X by building off of their opposing ideas to form his own vision of integration in America.

Baldwin, the son of a preacher, develops a complication relationship to religion and it’s role in...