The memoir, Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates is written to be a letter to describe the future issues to be anticipated for his son in American society. Coates wants to show the reality of the difficult life that must be lived if you are African American in the United States. Ta-Nehisi Coates wants to accurately share the trials and tribulations of the stereotypes of our society to protect his fiveteen year old son, and children all over the nation like his. Children who may not yet understand what they can expect from their futures, just because of their race or identity. The memoir begins by describing the history of violence towards other racial groups from white supremacists. He than begins to describe his childhood in the depths
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He makes it clear that since before the days of slavery. White supremacists judged others that were different than them. After slavery was abolished by Abraham Lincoln with the Emancipation Proclamation. That led to financial reparations that in his opinion were not enough to give African Americans a chance to live their own lives. The money wasn’t enough to buy all the land, that nobody would sell to them. This only led to segregation, and he still currently believes that our society is segregated. He mentions that topics and race and racism have evolved to be more descriptive in current history. “Difference in hue and hair is old. But the belief in the prominence of hue and hair, the notion that these factors correctly organize a society and that signify deeper attributes, what are indelible- this is a new idea at the heart of these new people who have been brought up hopelessly, tragically, deceitfully, to believe that they are white” (Coates, 7). This shows Coates is that being African American is still facing issues of segregation, just in different ways than from the …show more content…
“A year after I watched a boy with the small eyes pull out a gun, my father beat me for letting another boy steal from me. Two years later, he beat me for threatening my ninth grade teacher. Not being violent enough could cost me my body. Being too violent would cost me my body. We could not get out” (Coates, 28). There were mixed messages in the home of Coates from his father. His father wanted to teach his son to protect himself from the scary people of the world but, respect those who deserve your respect. I think that throughout the book these are values Coates is trying to instill in his
He makes it clear that since before the days of slavery. White supremacists judged others that were different than them. After slavery was abolished by Abraham Lincoln with the Emancipation Proclamation. That led to financial reparations that in his opinion were not enough to give African Americans a chance to live their own lives. The money wasn’t enough to buy all the land, that nobody would sell to them. This only led to segregation, and he still currently believes that our society is segregated. He mentions that topics and race and racism have evolved to be more descriptive in current history. “Difference in hue and hair is old. But the belief in the prominence of hue and hair, the notion that these factors correctly organize a society and that signify deeper attributes, what are indelible- this is a new idea at the heart of these new people who have been brought up hopelessly, tragically, deceitfully, to believe that they are white” (Coates, 7). This shows Coates is that being African American is still facing issues of segregation, just in different ways than from the …show more content…
“A year after I watched a boy with the small eyes pull out a gun, my father beat me for letting another boy steal from me. Two years later, he beat me for threatening my ninth grade teacher. Not being violent enough could cost me my body. Being too violent would cost me my body. We could not get out” (Coates, 28). There were mixed messages in the home of Coates from his father. His father wanted to teach his son to protect himself from the scary people of the world but, respect those who deserve your respect. I think that throughout the book these are values Coates is trying to instill in his