A book that fully illustrates the difficulties in dealing with rebuilding a nation after an era of slavery, as well as concisely providing information to a strong civil rights voice is "The Fire Next Tempo” by James Baldwin. His writing is both an examination of race relations in a segregated America and a passionate plea for both whites and blacks to abandon hatred and embrace love as an outlet for their differences. The book's title comes from a black spiritual quote that Baldwin links directly to the inevitable consequences of continued racial injustice: "God gave Noah the sign of the rainbow, no more water, fire next time!" two major sections; Both are letters composed by James Baldwin, the first, "My Dungeon Shook: Letter to My Nephew on the Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation" and the second is "Down At The Cross: Letter from a Region in My Mind". .” In the first letter to his nephew, Baldwin informs his nephew of the death of his nephew's father. In the letter it is clear that the mistreatment of blacks during Reconstruction and the civil rights era was inhumane and cruel; often, society overlooked the fact that blacks as human beings deserved equality. Baldwin tells young James that his father “had a terrible life; he was defeated long before he died because, deep in his heart, he truly believed what white people said about him. James Baldwin is quite disgusted that the mistreatment of a man could occur in a land that boasts freedom and equality; not only does racism destroy the physique of oppressed people, but it also dampens the establishment that negligently promotes it, which in this case is the United States government. End of Baldwin... middle of paper... that they love heroes, that they were born in the greatest country the world has ever seen, or that Americans are invincible in battle and wise in peace, that Americans have always have treated Mexicans, Indians, and all others near or inferior honorably, that American men are the most direct and virile in the world, that American women are pure. (Page 76) For the author, this disconnection from reality does nothing but fuel feelings of inadequacy and resentment towards others. But for all the anger, pain, and harsh analysis that resonates through the author's writings, Baldwin's main message is that love and understanding are necessary to heal America's ongoing racial conflict. The theme flows smoothly and consistently throughout the book, from Baldwin's period of transformation in the church, to his time as an accomplished writer who found himself with many close white friends.