A Comparison Of James Baldwin And Ta-Nehisi Coatess

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me has been compared favorably with James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time. The book begins with a letter to his nephew which Coats mimics in writing to his son. Themes of ‘Bodies’ related to racial identity, the experience of being black in America, and how to break down racial barriers are very prominent in both books however they vary slightly.

Between the World and Me is Ta-Nehisi Coates’ letter to his son and has been praised as masterful and prophetic. His words formed by past events in his life resonate with both African American readers who share similar experiences and white readers who see “the Dream” and its faults. Coates authoritative voice shares similarities with other African American including James Baldwin, Malcolm X and Barack Obama. However, where he strays from the rest of the pack is in his outlook of the situation in the future. When addressing his son, Coates explains, “The struggle is really all I have for you, because it is the only portion of this world under your control” (107). This quote accurately summarizes Ta-Nehisi Coates’ dour and pessimistic attitude towards life and, more importantly, shows that Coates believes that life is hopeless for everyone else as well.

Inspired by James Baldwin’s 1963 classic The Fire Next Time, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me powerfully educates readers on what it means to be African American in the United States today. It is formatted as a letter to his son, Samori, at the age of fifteen. It’s intention being to help him through navigate the world as a young African American male. He does this through sharing personal experiences and analyzing current events, with regards to historical context. By communicating his ideas in this format, he is uniquely able to more broadly depict the concept of racism in America. Where both memoirs and textbooks fall short, Between the World and Me does not.

In the book Between the World and Me it comes across as a letter from Coates to his 15 year old son. The letter is written in a poetic and wise voice. It's modelled on James Baldwin's 1963 civil rights classic. Throughout the book coates writes as an atheist who was raised by activists. He also speaks on growing up in the black neighborhood of Baltimore and what he encountered growing which was parental beatings, first-hand experience, and the tragedies. For instance a tragedy he had to face was the death of his friend which was from a policeman who was later found not guilty for the murder. Within the book you can get a sense of feel of how he came to understand the anger of his parents, the alienation of his peers, the violence of the streets.

Between the World and Me written by Ta-Nehish Coates is a compelling book about the white supremacy in America and how hard it is being black in America. Coates using this book as a measure to discuss the issues of race within this critical time of multiple hostile incidents. Just as James Baldwin did in his book The Fire Next Time, with his letter address to his nephew at the height of the civil rights movement, Coates models after his method. Coats and Baldwin write these books as guides during these critical moments in history not to aspire to any larger themes of overcoming or transcending “race” as a way to defeat racism but about the ways of survival and remembering. Coates is a realist who yet still find the beauty within the unequal disparities in America. How it is so apparent to see the devalue of black American live. Through out this novel Coasts examines the deeper meaning and values of black bodies he brings it together by describing his own personal experiences as a child in Baltimore, as a student as Howard, as a writer, and importantly as a parent. All these experience allow Coates to see the large overview of America’s history of brutality to black bodies, and the invention of race as form of social hierarchy. Coats uses of the quote “they made us a race, we made ourselves the people” he wants us to understand that while whites created the race for black as a social hierarchy with them as the dominant race, although he feels they are truly

In Between the World and Me, Coates creates a modern day version of “The First Next Time” written by James Baldwin, where he writes a letter to his 15-year-old nephew to discuss the racial challenges that black people had to face simply because of their skin color. Ironically, Baldwin does the same thing in his novel, “The Fire Next Time”, using his 15 year-old nephew as the main focus in the story, allowing the readers to see how racism still impacts black people, especially black youth in today’s society.

“In a moment someone will get up and turn on the light. Then the old folks will remember the children and they wont talk anymore that day. And when light fills the room, the child is filled with darkness. He knows that every time this happens, he’s moved just a little closer to that darkness outside. The darkness outside is what the old folks had been talking about. It’s what they come from. It’s what they endure” (Baldwin, 82). I believe the narrator is raising the issue of racism against African Americans, children and adults. When they are in the comfort of their own homes at night, they have nothing to be afraid of; the color of their skin is not an issue of concern. But when their room is filled with light from the sun, it is another day they have to go out in a white world and face the consequences of having colored skin. The old folks have warned the younger generation, they will come across difficult challenges in day-to-day activities because the darkness of their skin. The younger generation can only be warned before they experience racism themselves and understand they will endeavor it for the rest of their lives every time they walk outside into a white ruled

One predominate, yet easily masked disease that constantly preys upon our society is racism. The question that ignited my curiosity was; is racism environmental factors based on one 's location or authority? Are we product of our environment? Who do we blame? What do we do? Such ideas as to racism and hatred constantly lurks around and ultimately destroys a community and a community 's sense of safety. One can easily believe the purpose of James Baldwin and his letter Notes of a Native Son was about a father and his son 's troubled relationship. But unfortunately, that concept barely scratches the surface. The deep, complex, and underlying purpose of Baldwin 's letter was to demonstrate how such a disease such as racism can be the cause of the decay of humanity of how people 's emotions and respect for each other are dwindling and ultimately how his son must grapple with such a concept and ultimately live with it. As well, in your letter, Letter to My Son, you addressed to your son the racism, cruelty, brutality, and injustice African Americans encountered and endured. By reading both of Baldwin 's letter and your letter, you both described very own personal experiences rather than another person 's account. You both truly gave your audience a view through your minds and enlightened them to the disease of racism.

The book Between the World and Me was written by Ta-Nehisi Coates in 2015. The book takes the format of a letter addressed to the writer’s teenage son, where he continually addresses the subject of African Americans in the society (4). Looking at the work from a more critical perspective, Coates work seems to have been inspired by the work of Baldwin of 1963 The Fire Next Time, where he spoke of white supremacy, and how possible it was to overcome. For Coates, white supremacy is a vice that his son, rather the reader, should accustom to, as it is an indestructible force. Walking through the periods of slavery, the author informs his son of

Coates creates a powerful message by saying if you are black in America no matter your success, or your actions, in at the end of the day you are still viewed as j. Also, Coates describes the difference in black experiences between his son and himself, but he claims that they both will endure the same struggles of being black in America. This is very similar to my Howard experience in the fact that many students come from opposite backgrounds and places, but at the end of the day as African American's we will still face the same struggles. Moreover, Coates makes a statement claiming that African-American parents are ordinarily more disciplined with their children than White-American parents because they are fearful of the danger their children may face. Growing up in a predominately white area I strongly agree with Coates claim, My parents would always take that extra step in reminding me of the consequences I could face for being at the wrong place at the wrong time because of what I looked like. It was important to my parents that carried myself in a distinct manner because of the possible obstacles I could face due to my

The American Dream does not exist for Black people. Sorry to break it to you, but that happy life you imagined with freedom, opportunity, success and that white picket fence is all an mirage that tricks us into escaping reality in order to live in an oblivious state that ignores all of the calamity experienced within our community. Coates reflects this idea by writing to his son, and unfortunately, he had to bombard his son with information of history and racism taking away his son’s oblivious innocence that white children are able to bear in order to protect him from his surrounding world.

Baldwin’s definition of racism developed from the constant degrading of African Americans from the mouths of white America. In the letter he wrote he says “You were born into a society which spelled out with brutal clarity, and in as many ways as possible, that you were a worthless human being. You were not expected to aspire to excellence: you were expected to make peace with mediocrity” (18). Thereby saying that his nephew is in a society where he will be

Furthermore, Baldwin eventually started attending school at P.S. 24 (Public School 24) where he already felt stagnate about the teachers. Baldwin also attended Frederick Douglass Junior High where he met Countee Cullen, a French poet, who taught at the school. James Baldwin grew up in a religious family and at a young he found religion as a refuge. “Baldwin retreated into Christianity at the age of 14 and became a youth minister at the Fireside Pentecostal Assembly” (Bader 9). Factors from his emotional, physical, and sexual caused him to find that refuge. James Baldwin eventually attended De Witt Clinton High School, which started to get rid of his religious tendencies.

In his essay he says, “wherever I passed, the first summer I was here, among the native villagers or among the lame, a wind passed with me¬—of astonishment, curiosity, amusement, and outrage” (42). This is an example of stereotyping as they noticed he was physically different from them, and so they treated him differently. It’s not unusual that people have questions about something that is different. If they go unanswered then they may come to a solution that can be completely wrong, which is how stereotypes can develop. In only a short period of time though, those people talked to him like any other person would, but with many questions. Baldwin was shocked by the outcome of the Europeans reaction but then realized that they have either never seen a black person or have rarely seen one. The native people do not understand how Baldwin feels, because he thinks that they are like white people in America judging and stereotyping him. In actuality they are not, because they do not have the history of black slaves. This can also be a case of reverse stereotyping, in that Baldwin assumes the white Europeans are thinking less of him because of his skin color, and this is based on his interactions with white Americans. Baldwin concludes in his essay, “that the culture of these people controls me—but they can scarcely be held responsible

James Baldwin is a renowned and celebrated African American writer who came to prominence during the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. The Fire Next Time is often regarded as one of his best works and cemented his role as a leading spokesman for the African American community. Baldwin spoke out against all kinds of discrimination. Baldwin’s ultimate message was that the redeeming power of love, understanding and self-determination would free African Americans of the “Negro Problem” (a euphemism for racial tension at the time) and the mythical idea of white racial superiority (often held by whites). In The Fire Next Time, Baldwin dives deep into the African American experience with a bold,