Ta-Nehisi Coates White Supremacy Analysis

White supremacy is a system that effects the mind, body, and soul of many African Americans. It has maintained its strength and power from its inconspicuous nature highlighted by Ta-Nehisi Coates in his statement “One cannot… claim to be superhuman and then plead mortal error. This is difficult because there exists…an apparatus urging us to accept American innocence at face value and not to inquire too much.” White supremacy was described by Dayvon Love as a math problem, you can’t complete a quadratic equation without first understanding how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. When you approach white supremacy, “you must look at the small concepts to begin to understand the larger picture.” Through social stratification African Americans …show more content…
While the streets taught individuals how to survive, the educational system taught students how to comply, creating a parallel in behaviors constraining the student to two separate dynamics. Coates however, highlights the importance of the street stating “I recall learning these laws [street laws] clearer than I recall learning my colors and shapes, because these laws were essential to the security of my body. Fail to comprehend the streets and you gave up your body now. But fail to comprehend the schools and you gave up your body later.” Coates grew to hate the educational system which focused on conformity, discipline and compliance not the curiosities of a young boy. Coates felt poisoned and blinded by the school system that only fed him what they wanted him to know, concealing the truths of white supremacy. Love also faced such deception while attending Towson University where he felt the college was an institute funded by white supremacy that works tirelessly to support the true Americans, the blonde hair blue eyed individuals. Coates described an environment that left himself …show more content…
Coates discusses the case of Prince Jones. Prince Jones was an affluent teen who had been given every opportunity in life. His mother who didn’t want to live in the impoverished places she grew up in worked hard to go to college, become a doctor and give her son every opportunity in life. Prince attended private schools his entire life and eventually went to Howard University. Exuberating success Prince and his mother believed they had beat the odds. Finally separating themselves from their impoverished brothers and sisters, they believed they had finally gained security unshackling themselves from their odds on the street. However, they didn’t realize they were marked for life with no escape. Prince Jones was shot in Northern Virginia while driving to see his fiancée and killed yards in front of her home. The officer had been dispatched to follow him with the suspicion that he was involved with drugs. The officer, who was known for his corruption, shot Prince stating self-defense. “Prince Jones was the superlative of all my fears.” Coates realizes at this moment that no African American is safe from death and destruction no matter how impoverished or affluent they are. Everyone is walking around with a target on their backs. Their bodies are