Racism In Ta-Nehisi Coates Between The World And Me

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"Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates is a nonfiction book that explains what it means to be black in society today. As Coates writes to his son, Samori, he portrays the pain he endured and the events he witnessed as a young "black man." He concludes by telling his son that these are simply the facts of life, growing up with the skin tone they have, but to stay motivated and to stay strong, because the world will not change for one person. In this letter, he is not optimistic. The material introduces the controversial topic of racism in America, through biases, thought-provoking quotes, and he explains how this issue will continue to manifest for years to come.
In creating an influential argument, both sides of the debate need to be evaluated. The issue with Coates' book is that his argument about racism is solely one-sided. Coates approaches the issue he believes cops pose to society by stating, " … [the cops] shot at moving cars, shot at the unarmed, shot through the backs of men and claimed that it had been they who'd been …show more content…

A common theme expressed throughout "Between the World and Me" is the issue of the racial divide. Coates explains what is considered "white" has changed so much with each new generation--there is no clear boundary. To discern who is truly white is an impossible task. Racism exists because those who view themselves as white, use those privileges to hold the "black body" accountable to subjugation. "Racism created race" (8). Society runs, based off of having the tiers of societal classes. Race ensures that there is always a lower class because it lays the foundation for the privileged to stand upon. This division is not something easily changed, because it cannot be pinpointed to one issue, therefore, it is like "finding a needle in a haystack." This idea is thought-provoking, and requires the reader to take a closer look at the evaluation he gives to race, and racism in

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