18031. THE FIRE NEXT TIME BY JAMES BALDWIN. This paper agrees with the argument in Baldwin's 1963 book that the salvation of American society requires white people to become more like African Americans. According to Baldwin, white people are not a good model for racial tolerance because they are motivated by race-based feelings of fear. By contrast, African Americans have learned to endure hardships while maintaining a sense of dignity. Baldwin claims that African Americans must avoid the temptation to resort to violence and hatred. Rather, they have a responsibility to serve as a model for love and tolerance within society. KEYWORDS: african americans racism race relations blacks whites argumentative essay. Written 2006. APA Style. 6 pages, 16 footnotes, 4 bibliographic sources. 1,664 words.