Comparing Ta-Nehisi Coates Between The World And Me

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The crux of “Between the World and Me” is as follows: the mantle of developing the United States and ascending it to its current status lay squarely on the backs and shoulders of African slaves. Quite easily the greatest conundrum in American society is that the group of people who are singly responsible for churning the wheels of prosperity that have made America “great”, are being treated as substandard in that very same space. Ta-Nehisi Coates composes “Between the World and Me” as a letter to his son with the intention of opening his son’s eyes to the reality of racism in America. A recurring theme throughout the piece is the idea of the “Dream”. As Coates explains in the book, the “Dream” is the delusion that people who think they are white use to reconcile the horrific truths of America’s history. The “Dream” encompasses the dreamer with feelings of security by averting their eyes to the atrocities the black body has been subjected to for their benefit. At no point in time does the dreamer acknowledge that the destruction and exploitation of black bodies wrought from a legacy of white supremacy so entrenched into society it …show more content…
Coates and I share the fear that there may never come a time when racism isn’t a prevalent issue in America. I believe it to be ingrained too deeply and weaved into the very fabric of the society to an extent such that institutions in all realms reflect its devilish hue. Consequently, the only real hope the African American population and by extension the entire diaspora has for carving out a rich and full existence is to look inward. The camaraderie and energy of black people everywhere is unmatched and by seeking to thrive in its midst as opposed to searching for outward relief, one can be certain to discover gems of
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