In preparation for Thursday’s Socratic Circle, please read the following two passages:

From The Fire Next Time, by James Baldwin, “Letter to My Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation”: baldwin letter to my nephew

“Dear president-elect: Our pilot has shown up – cussing, snorting, handsy, full of spite and trifles,” by Yolanda Wisher

If you wish for an extension, you can also explore Garnette Cadogan’s essay, “Walking While Black.”

While you read, please do the following (preferably on your hard copies, if you have them):

• circle any unknown words or concepts (things that you would not be able to explain to someone else)
• make note of connections – between the texts, to your own life, and/or to other things we have studied this year
• chose a short passage from any of the readings that you would like to read out loud to the Circle, either because you like what the author is doing with language or what she or he is doing with punctuation
• make note of questions you could ask that would promote rich discussion

Also, think about why Baldwin chose this as the epigraph (opening quotation) to his book:

“God gave Noah the rainbow sign,
No more water, the fire next time!”