'Most people focus on the second essay in The Fire Next Time,” Melton says. “The program is all about creating opportunities which otherwise might not have been available for these intellectually gifted students.” 'The Baldwin Scholars program is near and dear to my heart,” says Melton, who worked closely with the Baldwin Scholars at Hampshire. Baldwin taught at Hampshire from 1983 to 1986, and Hampshire's James Baldwin Scholars Program, which provides scholarships to talented students from underserved communities, was founded in his honor. In his novels, essays, and plays he explored the themes of race and sexuality in unprecedentedly complex and provocative terms. His words are not going to leave them any time soon, which I think is important for developing citizens who will be moving into the fullness of their adulthood as community members.'īaldwin was one of the most important African-American intellectuals of the twentieth century. What Baldwin wrote was on point for what they're confronting in their day-to-day lives. 'I think Hampshire will see rewards for the next few years from having chosen this common reading. 'Seeing students read Baldwin for the first time is an impossibly beautiful experience,' says Melton. There was also a screening of the Baldwin biography James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket on September 3. Baldwin and a Prophecy Fulfilled?' and prior to Professor Melton's lecture, student orientation groups discussed the book with the faculty members who will lead their academic tutorial during the fall semester. Melton gave a talk to the Hampshire community on“Facing the Fire This Time: James A.

The Fire Next Time was selected as this year’s common reading for incoming Hampshire students. “Baldwin's words continue to resonate,” he says, “to bring significant insight into contemporary issues such as police brutality, Black Lives Matter, cultural shifts, the shooting in Charleston, and how faith and conflict and personal belief can quickly escalate and become tremendously influential in social conduct.'

Melton, a Gettysburg College Assistant Professor of English and former Hampshire College faculty member.

'The contemporary moment is rooted in our collective history, and understanding that allows us to understand our present,' says McKinley E.

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin