Oppression In Ta-Nehasi Coates In Between The World And Me

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How do you think that the constant oppression of the black body has affected black america in the long run? In this book “In Between The World And Me” By Ta-nehasi Coates, Coates is portraying the destruction of the black body and how it’s created inequality in black america. Coates shows examples and personal experiences on how he’s seen the black body be mangeled and destroyed throughout his life. One of the key themes of the book is the use of the "Dream," a term Coates uses to describe the false assumption that America is a place of equal opportunity for all. He challenges this idea, arguing that the Dream is built upon the oppression and exploitation of Black bodies. Coates urges his son to resist the the Dream and instead embrace …show more content…

He encourages his son to forge a different path of knowledge and enlightenment and take a different direction than the one his father took before him . Coates expresses his personal connection to knowledge and learning, emphasizing that his Black identity shaped his intellectual pursuits and experiences "I was made for the library, not the classroom. The classroom was a jail of other people's interests. The library was open, unending, free" (Page 45) This shows how the classroom was made to be set on one topic but the library you can learn whatever you want to learn, giving you personal freedom to find what you truly find …show more content…

He discusses the stereotypes and perceptions that bleed fear and justify violence against Black individuals. Coates shows how people don't want to be associated with the black race because of just how much hatred and inequality shown towards them, making them lose their roots "People who believe they are white are obsessed with the politics of personal exoneration. And the word racist, to them, conjures, if not a tobacco-spitting oaf, then something just as fantastic—a strutting goof in a white robe" (Page 116) this quote shows how the few people who benefit from white privilege, basically flip sides turning into the racist and leaving their race