An Analysis Of Ta-Nehisi Coates 'Between The World And Me'
Ta-Nehisi Coates - Between the World and Me
The most powerful message in this book is that regardless of what black people achieve they are still undervalued in society and being black (and coming from a certain area) often comes with a barrage of other preconceived notions about a person’s identity. Coates recounts parts of his childhood where because of his socio economic background he was constantly in the face of violence, but as he grew up he realized this violence that was directed towards black people was not limited to “poor” and “black”, as his friend Prince, a middle class raised college student was wrongly tracked and killed by the police. Being a letter to his son, this book is a warning and a call to see the reality of what it
is truly like to be black in today’s world.
My three main takeaways from this text are on the basis of not taking anything for granted - neither education, opportunities nor my own freedom.
The first is that education is very important for the advancement of black people and in this book, Coates recollects not wanting to go to school but doing so regardless, and excelling which allowed him to attend Howard University. The best way to ensure the freedom of your mind is to educate yourself, especially as a black individual. The more you know about your rights, your capabilities and your worth, the less you can be taken advantage of.
Secondly, one must take advantage and make good use of the opportunities availed to them because many people, regardless of gender or age, do not have the same opportunities as a direct result of their skin color.This is seen in Coates’ recollection of his own childhood where he saw many boys his age turn to the violence of the streets in order to earn something for their family or to be the “big man” - which comes from the need to just be seen as an important human being.
My third takeaway is to be mindful that not everyone values me in the way I deserve to be valued and as such I must ensure that I protect my body and value my own freedom. I can do this by standing firm in my beliefs, taking everything with a grain of salt and being honest with myself. Taking advantage of my education and opportunities also serve as ways that I can value myself and put myself in a position that will enable me to help my family advance.
The most powerful message in this book is that regardless of what black people achieve they are still undervalued in society and being black (and coming from a certain area) often comes with a barrage of other preconceived notions about a person’s identity. Coates recounts parts of his childhood where because of his socio economic background he was constantly in the face of violence, but as he grew up he realized this violence that was directed towards black people was not limited to “poor” and “black”, as his friend Prince, a middle class raised college student was wrongly tracked and killed by the police. Being a letter to his son, this book is a warning and a call to see the reality of what it
is truly like to be black in today’s world.
My three main takeaways from this text are on the basis of not taking anything for granted - neither education, opportunities nor my own freedom.
The first is that education is very important for the advancement of black people and in this book, Coates recollects not wanting to go to school but doing so regardless, and excelling which allowed him to attend Howard University. The best way to ensure the freedom of your mind is to educate yourself, especially as a black individual. The more you know about your rights, your capabilities and your worth, the less you can be taken advantage of.
Secondly, one must take advantage and make good use of the opportunities availed to them because many people, regardless of gender or age, do not have the same opportunities as a direct result of their skin color.This is seen in Coates’ recollection of his own childhood where he saw many boys his age turn to the violence of the streets in order to earn something for their family or to be the “big man” - which comes from the need to just be seen as an important human being.
My third takeaway is to be mindful that not everyone values me in the way I deserve to be valued and as such I must ensure that I protect my body and value my own freedom. I can do this by standing firm in my beliefs, taking everything with a grain of salt and being honest with myself. Taking advantage of my education and opportunities also serve as ways that I can value myself and put myself in a position that will enable me to help my family advance.