Police Brutality In Coates's Between The World And Me

In the book Between the World and Me, the author Ta-Nehisi Coates tell stories and lessons to his only son primarily about race and the violence and injustice that come with it. The second part begins to discuss the topic of police brutality against Black people. Coates tells the reader and his son the story of how his friend Prince Jones was shot and killed by a police officer. Prince was black and so was the officer that shot him. But Coates argues that the officer's race doesn’t mean anything, nothing about the officer really has any significance. Coates states, “I knew the Prince was not killed by a single officer so much as he was murdered by his country and all the fears that have marked it from birth” (Coates 78). This is bold, chilling, and makes a reader really think about what it happening in their country and how they are partly responsible. This sentence starts to explain the importance of police brutality against people of color and how is not the doing of a single person but a whole country. Coates argues that the police of the United States of America represent the United States of America. He
Yes, Police officers are individuals, but they are part of society and the beliefs of this country. Coates supports this is his writing by stating, “the truth is that the police reflect America in all of it’s will and fear” (78). Every citizen is responsible for the doings of this country and the doctrine of this country because all together they are this country. This bold quote opens up a new perspective to readers by clearly stating the importance of police brutality against people of color. If racism exists in society it exists in the government and the police force too. This is not an idea that should go away after reading. This is the start of a conversation about how individuals can change their country and therefore their police force