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The Other Wes Moore Essay

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The American Dream is something chased by many Americans and the motto of our country, but underneath this layer of comfort is the tapestry of systemic injustice that perpetuates poverty and oppression in marginalized communities. Through the works of “The Other Wes Moore” and “Between the World and Me,” the dark realities of many communities are revealed as the fear of law enforcement and socioeconomic circumstances shape individual destinies. The cycle of poverty and the deep-rooted oppression in America pushes individuals from marginalized communities further into the web of systemic injustice. This is portrayed in "The Other Wes Moore" and "Between the World and Me," where the fear of law enforcement and one’s socioeconomic circumstances …show more content…

Wes Moore's narrative reveals his low-level economic circumstances and how it impacted him and the other people in his community. Moore discusses the effect of poverty, saying “Where was God when people didn’t make enough money to feed their families? Where was God when kids were selling rocks at twelve years old, and their parents encouraged it because the kids were the main breadwinners in the home?” (Moore 111). As seen in this quote, Wes is questioning God at church because the reality of his life and the people around him is too unfair for there to be a God. Similarly, Coates offers an additional factor of systemic racism and its effects on African American communities. He reflects on the generational trauma inflicted by systemic oppression, saying "Black people love their children with a kind of obsession. You are all we have, and you are our end. I think we would like to kill you ourselves before seeing you killed by the streets that America made." Coates 82. Coates is referring to the crime-filled streets and abusive law enforcement that add to systemic oppression. Countless instances of police brutality towards African Americans leaves Coates scared for his son as he grows up in America. He references obsession and endangerment as the obsession to protect his son from the horrible things he has seen in his own life. Both authors' experiences show just how deep the layers of systemic injustice can be and how it can shape one’s destiny before they can even get a

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