Racism In Ta-Nehesi Coates Between The World And Me

Honesty is essential in the quest for freedom. In Between the World and Me, Coates tells his son the truth, without fear, without repression, and without appeasement. Coates doesn’t write as a spokesperson for the black community, but he writes knowing that he will be a spokesperson not matter where he is or what he does. This a reality black people must deal with every day. Coates uses the language he does not because of the fact that it will be read as more than his words, but because they are his words regardless.

As Coates departs from Dr. Jones house he thought over the loss of his dear friend. He thinks of the protesters and how perhaps their bodies was abused because they knew that it was not theirs, to begin with. Coates informs his son that it is unlikely that the dreamers will never come to their consciousness. It is clear that racial justice and the dream does not seem to be going away anytime soon, that the black will suffer from inequality and injustice for a very long time. Despite, our society having a former black American president, the media focusing on the protest against police killings Coates sees no prospect of much change.

One of the most well-known examples of the racial profiling is a case of Trayvon Martin. This horrible event happened in February 2012 when seventeen years old boy Trayvon was shot by the neighborhood watch head George Zimmerman. Analyzing the words of Blow, Zimmerman’s perception of Trayvon Martin reflects pervasive stereotypes about the criminality of black people. Thus, the tension between police and African-American has a long history. Nowadays, news and mass media feed public with continuous stories of crimes that became an integrant part of black males characteristic.

Between the World and Me, written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and dedicated to his then fifteen-year-old son, is engulfed in riveting and powerful messages. Bestselling author Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote “Between the World and Me” with hopes and intentions of providing his son and his readers with pivotal guidance and wisdom, drawn directly from his personal experiences and formed perspectives. One may accurately attest that Coates achieved his intent. The impact had by the messages relayed in this book certainly confirm that testament. However, one can also argue that the personal experiences shared by Coates were what urged his messages forward.

Jerrione Mosley In the book Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates writes a letter to his son revealing the reality of life, growing up as a black man. Coates mostly focused on how black lives and bodies lacked value in America and could be possibly destroyed or taken away at any time. He also talked about “The Dream”, which is the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. The lack of values and importance for the black race is highly in effect.

In the article, “From Trayvon Martin to Andries Tatane - Cognitive Dissonance and the Black Male Body [analysis],” author Gillian Schutte reflects on the ongoing issues of racial profiling and how many blacks are viewed as skin and surface level human beings. To connect this main point to a real life scenario, Schutte notes the shooting of Trayvon Martin, an innocent 17-year old boy who was walking home from a cafe, unarmed and posed no threat. Zimmerman, the gunman, viewed Martin as a threat, and proceeded to call the police five times to express his concern. Schutte addresses the issue that no matter where blacks are in society, they face danger from whites. Schutte describes how the people think the color of their skin determines their

Finding the perfect balance between the streets and education seems to be a difficult task. Moreover, the balance can account for why a high percentage of students in urban areas are not graduating high school or attending college. In addition, a second theme I found interesting in “Between the World and Me” were the fear that Coates talks about black people having. In Coates opinion, the fear is to blame for the majority of our actions. From beating children as a form of discipline to selling drugs on the street the fear is at the root.

This shooting of Oscar Grant suggests that america has not gotten past post racial. Two innocent black men were shot by police, one on a crowded subway platform, the other just outside his parents' suburban home. One died, the other lived. Just three weeks earlier, a seventeen-year-old black high school athlete had mysteriously died during a traffic stop in Lucedale, Mississippi.(1 Delores Jones-Brown). Three black people got shot, this also violated civil rights.

In recent news we have seen massive riots following the killings of African American men by caucasian police officers. These all follow after one of the most prominent not guilty verdicts of the 21st century on the Rodney King beating. With these riots we see the words of Teju Cole begin to take life.

The most powerful message encountered in the Coates work “Between the World and Me” is the message to his son about the prevalence of racism in America in society today. Coates provides his son with a plethora of scenarios and personal experiences that showed how racism is still common in society today. Coates encourages his son to be cautious and also aware of these instances because they are numerous and can happen to him at any moment. One key idea about racism in America that Coates explains to his son is that racism gave birth to race and prior to racism there was no such thing as race. Instead, everyone lived as a human being, not feeling entitled to certain societal expectations such as school systems, jobs, or living conditions depending on the color of their skin.

If Between the World and Me was viewed as a book saturated with hopelessness, Coates’s most famous essay regarding reparation “The Case against Reparations”, regarding incarceration “The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration”, and regarding the president “Barack Obama, Ferguson, and the Evidence of Things Unsaid” would most likely deem him a cynic. Coates begins The Case for Reparations by stating, “Two hundred fifty years of slavery. Ninety years of Jim Crow. Sixty years of separate but equal. Thirty-five years of racist housing policy.

Between the World and Me, a memoir written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, reminisces on his personal encounters of racial discrimination and injustice while growing up. Coates dedicates his message through a letter to his son, Samori, growing into a new time and age of racial prejudice. In this passage Coates revisits his conversation with Mable Jones, and connects it to his background and family roots, embracing what it means to be a Black man in America. Coates attempts to teach Samori that it is necessary to struggle to experience the full potential of life. Coates reiterates “The Dreamers”, White, privileged, Americans who are blinded by reality and robbing themselves of the American Dream.

Freedom can be defined in different ways, therefore people try to experience it in many ways. But what happens when it seems that freedom is being abolished every day? Sometimes freedom is associated with life, now in the days is obvious that lives of minorities are being attacked. Angela Davis is a political activist, scholar, and speaker, who always set up outstanding thoughts about controversial topics. Chapter 6 of one of her books, Freedom is a Constant Struggle, she illuminates the connection between the issues of racism present in the United States of America, violence, and justice.

He depicts how people just glaze over them as if they had done something to deserve it. As Ta-Nehisi Coates recounts his childhood, He entails how there would be no question about the murders of young black people. He tells the tale of how officers of the law destroyed your body and were faced with no consequences when he

Between the World and Me, written by Ta-Nehisi Coates is a powerful book written as a letter from the author to his teenage son. This book outlines the race issue in America from a first hand perspective. The author explains his struggles and fears as he grew up and how those fears transformed into a new meaning as he reached adulthood. Through his personal story, the reader is offered insight into the lives of other African Americans and how they may experience racial injustice themselves.