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An Analysis Of Ta-Nehisi Paul Coates Between The World And Me

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Ta-Nehisi Paul Coates produced “Between the World and Me”, a novel which is depicted from the views of the African American male, expressing views on culture and politics. Coates describes the feeling of living in the United States where Black Americans are degraded and taken advantage of. Significantly, he tells readers about the greatest factors of hindrance to the Black American community, greatly including the impact of white Americans and their impede to the growth of Black impartiality, as whites being the stern majority for hundreds of years. Considering the previous sentence, the most important message of the novel is America was built with the idea of black and white, so in order to move forward as a country, Coates’s reasoning to …show more content…

Coates suggests the idea that white Americans depict African Americans to be evil and aggressive. “Why were our only heroes nonviolent? I speak not of the morality of nonviolence, but of the sense that blacks are in especial need of this nonviolence” (Coates). During the Civil RIghts Movement a time of great violence, it was preached to Black protesters to be non-violent. This suggests that the only way for violent white people to take Black Americans seriously is if they do not fight back. Perhaps Coates’s idea of the “especial need” of nonviolence is to question why did only Black Americans have to be nonviolent? Why do Black citizens continuously have to compromise in order for white Americans to understand? Coates believes that Black Americans, and other minorities, are held up to a higher standard to behave around white people in order to be taken …show more content…

Police brutality is such an important topic for Black Americans, especially during present times. The great discussion about police brutality becomes heavily accomodated in America due to the heavy terror being carried out by white police officers against unarmed, Black Americans. “The officer carries with him the power of the American state, and the weight of American legacy, and they necessitate that of the bodies destroyed every year, some wild and disproportionate number of them will be black” (Coates). In distinction to the quote, corrupt police officers take the role of “America”, and the violence brought on to African Americans symbolizes the perpetual mistreatment of us living here in America. I think Coates was strong and symbolic when he discussed police brutality. It is the horrifying truth that Black Americans

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This altercation started when Coates became bored and disruptive in the class where it led to law enforcement being present to have more control of the situation (Coates 2008, pg. 141). Although Coates was a very bright intellectual, it is obvious to see that he was not present when in class but was very engaged with the world of books and music, outside of the classroom. Young Coates was not aware of the power of “knowledge” alone. He did not understand that without “conscious” of what is to be fought for. His mind was more focus on the lust for making his mark that he had not considered society’s view of a black male and where the origin of fear

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Even just by reading pages 5-12, I can tell that Ta-Nehisi Coates is a good writer because his essay is highly thoughtful and provocative, and the well-written narrative provides lots of powerful examples to depicts the racial struggle in the U.S. He told his son, “You must always remember that the sociology, the history, the economics, the graphs, the charts, the regression all land, with great violence, upon the body.” The concept of violence upon the body appears on every important point of my reading. This is more powerful than the examples of law enforcement and black Americans because it leads the reader to truly see the the fears provoked.

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In an act to affirm the idea that America should claim ownership to the wrongdoing that they have committed on to African Americans for centuries, Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote “A Case For Reparations”. “Reparations”, is essentially the executive decision proposed by a government to alleviate all wrongdoings by granting monetary benefits to the victims that were affected by such wrongdoings. Ta-Nehisi Coates presents the argument that until America recognizes the hundreds of years of enslavement and segregation and systematic oppression, the state of this Country will never be whole. Being a persuasive piece, Coates uses mechanism such as Bible scriptures, factual evidence/statistics, and actual testimonies to appeal to the emotional and logically

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The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates is an article issue in June 2014. The article is about discrimination, segregation, and racism toward black Americans. Two and a half centuries ago American success was built on slavery. And in present day African American are being discriminated for the color of their skin that even now the wound that black Americans face in their daily life has never been healed or fully atoned for. In this article Ta-Nehisi Coates discusses the struggle African American went through and all the hard time they face in their daily

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Brent Staples’s essay is still relevant today because of the fear that lives inside people who don’t understand or accept others, which often leads to authorities abusing their power so that they can feel safe while others live their lives cautiously. This relates to how both African Americans and the police live their lives in fear and with caution. The police fear African Americans due to their own prejudice reasons which causes them to abuse their authority by acting more aggressive which helps themselves feel safer and stronger. This forces African Americans to live their lives with caution and patience because if they don’t, they put themselves at a higher risk of endangering themselves. Brent Staples wrote the article “Black Men in Public

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Analyzing “The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehisi Coates The past is the past, but sometimes the past comes back and bites us on the butt. In Ta-Nehisi Coates’s article, “The Case for Reparations”, Coates describes the wrongful acts done by white supremacists towards African-Americans. Throughout his article, Coates provides strong logos and pathos to his argument. The one issue that he fails to discuss is ethos or credibility towards his argument.

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In his book Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates writes a letter to his son divulging into what life is like growing up as a black man. As Cotes writes he explores the life of a black man and the ways he must navigate through a society that prioritizes the white hegemonic above the lives of young black men. The specific idea that intrigued me the most in Coates’ book was his idea exploring that: “The streets and the schools as arms of the same beast” (Coats 33). Coates discussed that both schools and the street weaponize fear as a means of control over black men. Schools would use their power as an official system as a means to perpetuate racism.

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African Americans throughout most of their history have lived under the power of the crime-justice system according to Coates and not it’s authority. “Nisbet, distinguishes between “power” and “authority” … authority… is a matter of relationships, allegiances, and association… Power…is “external” and “based” upon force.” Although one can imply as to why he makes the argument, he does not provide any evidence or reasoning to back up his claim. One can imply from Coates saying “Power exist where allegiances have decayed or never existed at all.

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One of the key issues that Coates addresses in the book is police brutality and racial profiling. In Issue #1, the Black Panther confronts a group of police officers who are harassing a young Black man. The officers assume the young man is up to no good simply because he is Black, and the Black Panther steps in to defend him. By highlighting this issue, Coates is drawing attention to the reality of racial profiling and police brutality, which disproportionately affect Black and brown communities. He is also emphasizing the importance of standing up to injustice and using one's power to protect those who are vulnerable.

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Between the World and Me, written by Ta-Nehisi Coates is a powerful book written as a letter from the author to his teenage son. This book outlines the race issue in America from a first hand perspective. The author explains his struggles and fears as he grew up and how those fears transformed into a new meaning as he reached adulthood. Through his personal story, the reader is offered insight into the lives of other African Americans and how they may experience racial injustice themselves.

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1254 Words | 6 Pages

Overall, his bold and passionate language appropriately delivers his message on life in America as a black boy and man. This book tells the truth and nothing less. Coates keeps it real with his son at all times. He even tells his son that tough love is needed between him and son.

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He explained the process taken to organize a nonviolent movement by taking “Four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct actions” (78). By doing so, shining a light on the unjust laws maintained in U.S against the “Negro” community that should be changed. Any laws that disregards human dignity and distorts an individual’s worth within that community is considered unjust.

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Police Brutality in America and the 1990s The legal system in the United States has been broken since it’s inception, disproportionately attacking, and punishing anyone who is not white. As the country grew, improving, growing prosperous, the broken system continued its work. One result of this broken system is police brutality, and overstepping of police power. In fact, according to a 2013 Pew Research Center survey, of the black people questioned, 70% said they felt they were unfairly treated when dealing with police.

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Although he believes that this question is unanswerable, Coates’ purpose is to express his deepest concerns for his son and to help him understand his personal experiences as a black man. He achieves his purpose by incorporating rhetorical skills such as ethos, pathos, and logos. Coates has been a successful journalist and writer for several years. He previously worked for The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and O

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Police brutality remains a common yet controversial topic around the world. Police brutality is “the use of excessive and/or unnecessary force by police when dealing with civilians” (thelawdictionary.org). It’s a topic that segregates communities and makes each other their enemy. Specifically, a white officer has been the enemy of the black community. Unfortunately, the tension between police and blacks grew over the past few decades.

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