Destruction Of Black Bodies Analysis

The more I read into this book I get the sense that Coates is telling his son not to fit into the stereotype the world has created for him. Coates himself seems to struggle with this mental effort to avoid this trap that society has for him. There is a huge load imposed on black youth to navigate through dangerous and treacherous society that has required them to be drained mentally, physically, and emotionally. This idea can occur either by trying to avoid the stereotype of fitting into it. It also seems that either path you take you are not going to avoid this attempt in navigating through a harsh landscape of society.

In Ta-Nehisi Coates’ essay, “Letter to My Son,” published by The Atlantic, he argues that in America it is customary to be oblivious to the suffering of black people due to people that believe they are white wanting a white America. He supports this claim by first describing how throughout history, people believing in white privilege regard themselves superior than those of color. An example that Coates used to show his son would be when a white woman pushed him and Coates recalled that, “There was the reaction of any parent when a stranger puts a hand on the body of their child. And there was my own insecurity in my ability to protect your black body. And more: There was my sense that this woman was pulling rank.” Another point Coates makes

At the ending of the “First Letter”, Coates says that such a question can’t be answered. However he believes that there are multiple forms of reaching an answer to such a problem as this one. For him, undergoing the brutality that the African community faces is a form of answer, considering that by experiencing racism he is able to better understand what it means to be humane. Originally, like anyone one else Coates experienced what it's like to be judged just based off his appearance; especially his skin color. When referring to his body being judged by the host of a popular news show, he is saying that by just making assumptions based off of a person’s skin color, one would think that they have underwent the same treatment of severe backlash.

For the past several years, I’ve greeted Ta-Nehisi Coates’s essays and blog posts for The Atlantic with nothing short of gratitude. As an African-American, he makes me proud. There is no other way to put it. I do not always agree with him, but it hardly matters. In a media world populated with pundits, so-called experts and public intellectuals driven by ego and familiar agendas, Coates’s voice stands nearly alone — a black man raised in the streets of Baltimore who narrowly escaped the violence that lurked around every corner and dodged the clutches of the prisons and jails that were built for him, and who now speaks unpopular, unconventional and sometimes even radical truths in his own voice, unfiltered. He is invariably humble, yet subtly defiant. And people listen.

One moment of which was quite traumatizing for him in my opinion—when Prince Carmen Jones was murdered by PG County police. During this time, Coates had no idea who the man was until he saw his photo in the paper. He grew angry and explained that, “What I remember for sure is what I felt: rage” (77). Though he was angry, he did not do anything about it because he had to keep his families safety in mind. Throughout his life he witnessed and understood that black lives were easily taken, which caused him to from fear no matter where he went. For instance, a family trip took him to France where he met and befriended a Frenchman. They decided to learn from each other when it came to the native languages that each spoke, while going out to eat. All the while Coates could not stay calm, for he feared the worst because the worst—being beaten and/or killed by the hands of another person—is what he has come to know. Coates’ new acquaintance wanted to show him a building after they ate but, he was anxious and worried that this man had a hidden agenda. When talking about the journey to said building Coates explained to his son that, “The entire time he was leading me, I was sure he was going to make a quick turn into an alley, where some dudes would be waiting” (126). He was full of fear throughout the duration of meeting with this man because of the things that he learned and witnessed in Baltimore—many unnecessary deaths by policeman (who were not charged with the crime that they committed) and the overall ill treatment of people of

Coates receives credibility by using his personal life that relates to other African American youth. For example, his relationship between him and his father is one that many black youth can relate too and learn from through reading Between the World and Me .

A letter from a father to his son, in a time many black men are considered absent fathers, Ta-Nehisi Coates writes the truth of black America and the problems racism has caused, “Race is the child of racism, not the father” (7). Reminiscent of James Baldwin’s letter written to his 15- year-old nephew, The Fire Next Time, Coates to write his own letter giving fatherly advice in hopes his son does not become another mishandled black body. He does not hold back the truth that black men are killed by those who have sworn to protect, with little hope of justice for those who have met an untimely end.

In Coates novel, within the first part, one of the first things he describes is his son’s reaction to Michael Brown’s killer being set free without punishment. “You went into your room, and I heard you crying. I came in five minutes after, and I didn’t hug you, and I didn’t comfort you, because I thought it would be wrong to comfort you. I did not tell you it would be okay, because I’ve never believed it would be okay” (Coates, 21.) In this portion, Coates is demonstrating the struggle that many black parents have when talking to their children about their importance in the world. Many choose to tell their children that it is going to be okay and there’s no need to worry. Deep down, though

In conclusion, Coates’ letter to his son exposes the American Dream and police actions; he uses his own life experiences to show how it is a white Dream and to exemplify the wrongdoings of police-force, consequently calling for reformation. Unfortunately, the usage of inappropriate race classification has led to the racial ideology that justified slavery and inhuman treatment. Although there has been an adequate amount of change between the white and black racial category, it remains a component in American society. Coates understands the history behind the treatment that him and his black counterparts receive. He knows that the white people have had the upper hand for far too long to be able to truly ever be leveled with them. Along with

This lead to my second takeaway from the book, when he talks about how everyone makes mistakes in life, but the cost is significantly higher for black people in America. It is statistically proven that for every person that is stopped for possession of marijuana, black people are given more sentences and are forced to face the “mandatory minimums.” Or, even just by my brother wearing what he did, it could have cost him his life. Lastly, what also carried a great impact was how Coates discussed the host referring to hope at the beginning of the book. As Americans, especially white Americans, we like to think that although the situation seems grim, it must be ok because they are becoming slightly better than they were before.

Coates mentions the word body as much as the word the throughout the book. He believes the body is the most important aspect of our lives. He believes that one must take care of our body to the best of our ability. Coates states, “Not being violent enough could cost me my body. Being too violent could cost my body.” A black male in a neighborhood like the one he grew up in- West Baltimore could have easily taken his life away, as well as a neighborhood in the suburbs. There is no successful escape. Coates states to his son, “ You do not give your precious body to the billy clubs of Birmingham sheriffs nor to the insidious gravity of the streets.” There is a great chance a black person- specifically , a black male will end up in the streets, kicked out of school, locked up or killed. The same rage that the police officer who killed Eric Gardner is carried within the black boy who grew up from the ghetto. It was rage that had been passed on generation to generation. The killing of his good friend, Prince Carmen Jones, by a PG county officer convinced Coates that the police reflects America in all of its will and fear. He states “And so to challenge is

The most powerful message in Coates’ “Between the World and Me” is that race is a construct that is enforced at the expense of black bodies. Coates says that “race is the child of racism” and I agree. The whole idea of people being white and black was created so that the “white” people could feel superior to the “black” people. The fact is that white and black people do not exist. So many people do not understand this and where race has come from which makes it and racism all the more harmful to the oppressed. Most white people in America are racist and they do not realize it because they do not understand their own identity and the identity of the people they oppress. There needs to be an end to the Us vs. Them mentality but this ignorance is continually taught to younger generations which repeats the same, horrific cycle.

Between the World and Me had a profound message written to Coates’ son about the protection of the black body and more importantly, the misconception of the Dream. This idea of the Dream is an illusion created by whites that can only be achieved by whites. The Dream is a misconception because the Dreamers are lying on the backs of African Americans. The Dreamers are reaping what blacks have built. This idea of a constant yet misguided pursuit of the Dream ties back into protection of the black body. History has told us over and over again that there is not a goal to cherish the black body. In fact, Coates discusses how destroying the black body is heritage. Movements and protests have tried hard to do so but Coates writes that their goal is

Growing up as a black male, or any type of minority in America is far from easy. Not only are all the odds pinned against them but the statistics prove it. According to the Boston Globe 15% of white high school drop outs are in jail by the time they reach 30-34. The incarceration rates are even higher for black males who dropped out of high school, coming in at 69% (Horowitz). To say that white privilege doesn’t exist would perhaps be the fog that Coates mentions covers societies eyes. He mentions to his son that he will hear countless amounts of times that he can make a difference and together all Americans can make a difference, but Coates warns his son not to believe it. “The birth of a better world is not ultimately up to you, though I know, each day, there are grown men and woman who tell you otherwise” (Coates 71). Unfortunately, Coates knows that for his son, change cannot and will not ever start with him; for a black man has no power in the white world they live in. White people do not understand the hardships of growing up and living everyday being black. Each day is lived with a certain type of precaution that white people do not know “The way mystery and

Socrates once said, “Perfection is constant change”. People live in a world that is constantly changing from the economy to the technology to even a person’s daily life. But, the one thing that has remained constant throughout time is the life struggle many minorities especially black Americans face in an embedded system of white supremacy. Father and author, Ta-Nehisi Coates, wrote “Letter to My Son,” published in 2015 in The Atlantic, argues in a letter to his 15-year-old son, that racism is very so prevalent and is due to the faults of white supremacy. Coates establishes his credibility (Ethos) with personal experiences and reputable background, citing plausible facts and personal accounts, while also efficiently utilizing emotional appeals