Coates begins the next section, pages 22 to 39, by telling the reader about the effects that the streets have had on the black community. Those effects are the acts of violence inflicted upon members of the community and the loss of loved ones from either death or incarceration. Furthermore, even those that do not actively involve or even those that stay away cannot come out unscathed. For those in the streets the constant near death experiences provide something akin to an adrenaline rush that is seen in those that participate in extreme sports. They also provide a sense of power that can only be claimed through violence. The people that are in the streets are constantly on edge and it is even worse for those that are released from incarceration. For example, Kalief Browder was a young man who was accused of stealing a book bag at the age of 16 and was jailed without trial for three years. The horror of his experiences eventually led him to suicide. There are many men and women that have experiences like Kalief's regardless of if they were found guilty. They have been reduced to mere statistics and arrest quotas. How can society still support a jail system that is able to traumatize someone to that extent?…show more content… According to Coates, it stems from the rage and fear that the community has inherited. The fear that society can throw any black person to the dogs and the rage of being unable to fight back. The power in the streets can only be gained and maintained through violence. No matter how small the act, one must either protect oneself or strike first to build a reputation. However, with that newfound reputation there is a constant stream of new threats varying in intensity. Everyone is gunning for that top spot. Even if one wants to avoid the affairs of the streets; one must learn who or what to avoid, what cannot be worn and even the language that precedes
