Between the World and Me:
1. Te-Nehisi Coates summarizes the work of historians to demonstrate the lingering effects of slavery and racism on modern America. Did you find his use of history effective or persuasive?
First of all, Coates defines “slavery” as an enslaved black female that has been has been tortured and brainwashed by her oppressors; broken-down into a sense of hope for her future generation to rise above the calamity that was the forefront of her fate (Coates 70). This was effective in delivering his perspective of how blacks were considered condemned from generations of oppression imposed due to the involuntary lifestyle forced on their ancestors. Moreover, Coates reminds the reader that Blacks were slaves for 250 years meaning they were slaves more than double the quantity of time they had been free men and women. Subsequently, Coates delineates “racism” as something that should not be employed as a justification for the injustices granted by the following: subpoenas, indictments, courts, attorneys, judges, jurors, and criminal justice system in general (Coates 83). Also, “race” was used to described the Blacks that thought of themselves as their White counterparts (Coates 115) such as Michael Jackson and so forth. Hence, his examples persuade the reader to comprehend his reasoning of why it is applicable for Blacks to protect the black body from all of the iniquities within the American system. He notes that Dreamers, Blacks who desire to believe and be accepted equal to Whites, could only be changed on their own accord (Coates 149). Not to mention, “fathers” of Black girls would tell their daughters to seek to be educated; since, they lacked beauty due to their dark-skin (Coates 65). Moreover, Coates describes how Blacks teach their children to “be twice as good” and “accept half as much” while Whites were teaching their children to “take twice as much” (Coates 90-91). Thus, this does not differ from the philosophy from modern day Blacks who currently believe that working twice as hard to accomplish half as much was a way of life for them. Therefore, it was ideal for him to model after Malcolm X oppose to the Dr. …show more content…
Martin Luther King, Jr. as powerful influence in his life. All of those Dreamers represented the MLKs who allowed the Whites to destroy the Black bodies that he thought of as the most precious possession to the Blacks (Coates 131). Contrarily, Malcolm had chosen to respond differently in his approach to Whites who desired to harm the Black bodies (Coates 44). His ideals were no differ than those of the Black Panther Party and Huey P. Newton (Coates 30). Henceforth, Coates provides a number of examples that demonstrate his position leading to his use of history being effective as well as persuasive in respects to slavery and racism. 2. Did this book alter your understanding of racism as an issue in 21st-century life? If so, how? This book altered my understanding of racism as an issue in the 21st century life by challenging my knowledge of current events regarding racism that has taken place in the last 20 years. …show more content…
Also, Coates uses a number of Blacks that had been murdered in the name of justice being served; then, acquitted by the criminal justice system for which consist of mostly Whites and Dreamers. He decided to detail stories of Blacks who had been murdered by Officers and then, as a journalist, he actually went out to interview their families. For instance, Black victims like: Sean Bell shot down (Coates 96), Michael Brown shot down (Coates 21), Trayvon Martin shot down (Coates 105), Eric Garner who choked to death (Coates 9) and Prince Carmen Jones shot down (Coates 77), meaning they were all executed at the hands of those who, Coates reminds the reader, should have been hired to protect them; however, society made the officers their executions by way of a subconscious disregard for the safety of the Black body. Furthermore, Coates demonstrates how Blacks are helpless against protecting their own children from the Whites who chose to harm them under the protection of the law. Coates reminisce on time when he was responsible for protecting his son from a White woman who pushed his boy; harming his black body. While responding verbally aggressive, he was reminded when by
1. Te-Nehisi Coates summarizes the work of historians to demonstrate the lingering effects of slavery and racism on modern America. Did you find his use of history effective or persuasive?
First of all, Coates defines “slavery” as an enslaved black female that has been has been tortured and brainwashed by her oppressors; broken-down into a sense of hope for her future generation to rise above the calamity that was the forefront of her fate (Coates 70). This was effective in delivering his perspective of how blacks were considered condemned from generations of oppression imposed due to the involuntary lifestyle forced on their ancestors. Moreover, Coates reminds the reader that Blacks were slaves for 250 years meaning they were slaves more than double the quantity of time they had been free men and women. Subsequently, Coates delineates “racism” as something that should not be employed as a justification for the injustices granted by the following: subpoenas, indictments, courts, attorneys, judges, jurors, and criminal justice system in general (Coates 83). Also, “race” was used to described the Blacks that thought of themselves as their White counterparts (Coates 115) such as Michael Jackson and so forth. Hence, his examples persuade the reader to comprehend his reasoning of why it is applicable for Blacks to protect the black body from all of the iniquities within the American system. He notes that Dreamers, Blacks who desire to believe and be accepted equal to Whites, could only be changed on their own accord (Coates 149). Not to mention, “fathers” of Black girls would tell their daughters to seek to be educated; since, they lacked beauty due to their dark-skin (Coates 65). Moreover, Coates describes how Blacks teach their children to “be twice as good” and “accept half as much” while Whites were teaching their children to “take twice as much” (Coates 90-91). Thus, this does not differ from the philosophy from modern day Blacks who currently believe that working twice as hard to accomplish half as much was a way of life for them. Therefore, it was ideal for him to model after Malcolm X oppose to the Dr. …show more content…
Martin Luther King, Jr. as powerful influence in his life. All of those Dreamers represented the MLKs who allowed the Whites to destroy the Black bodies that he thought of as the most precious possession to the Blacks (Coates 131). Contrarily, Malcolm had chosen to respond differently in his approach to Whites who desired to harm the Black bodies (Coates 44). His ideals were no differ than those of the Black Panther Party and Huey P. Newton (Coates 30). Henceforth, Coates provides a number of examples that demonstrate his position leading to his use of history being effective as well as persuasive in respects to slavery and racism. 2. Did this book alter your understanding of racism as an issue in 21st-century life? If so, how? This book altered my understanding of racism as an issue in the 21st century life by challenging my knowledge of current events regarding racism that has taken place in the last 20 years. …show more content…
Also, Coates uses a number of Blacks that had been murdered in the name of justice being served; then, acquitted by the criminal justice system for which consist of mostly Whites and Dreamers. He decided to detail stories of Blacks who had been murdered by Officers and then, as a journalist, he actually went out to interview their families. For instance, Black victims like: Sean Bell shot down (Coates 96), Michael Brown shot down (Coates 21), Trayvon Martin shot down (Coates 105), Eric Garner who choked to death (Coates 9) and Prince Carmen Jones shot down (Coates 77), meaning they were all executed at the hands of those who, Coates reminds the reader, should have been hired to protect them; however, society made the officers their executions by way of a subconscious disregard for the safety of the Black body. Furthermore, Coates demonstrates how Blacks are helpless against protecting their own children from the Whites who chose to harm them under the protection of the law. Coates reminisce on time when he was responsible for protecting his son from a White woman who pushed his boy; harming his black body. While responding verbally aggressive, he was reminded when by