In the 150 years since the end of the Civil War and the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, the story of race and America has remained a brutally simple one, written on flesh: it is the story of the black body, exploited to create the country’s foundational wealth, violently segregated to unite a nation after a civil war, and, today, still disproportionately threatened, locked up and killed in the streets. What is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it? And how can America reckon with its fraught racial history?
Between the World and Me is Ta-Nehisi Coates’ attempt to answer those questions, presented in the form of a letter to his adolescent son. Coates shares with his son—and readers—the story of his own awakening to the truth about history and race through a series of revelatory experiences: immersion in nationalist mythology …
In the 150 years since the end of the Civil War and the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, the story of race and America has remained a brutally simple one, written on flesh: it is the story of the black body, exploited to create the country’s foundational wealth, violently segregated to unite a nation after a civil war, and, today, still disproportionately threatened, locked up and killed in the streets. What is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it? And how can America reckon with its fraught racial history?
Between the World and Me is Ta-Nehisi Coates’ attempt to answer those questions, presented in the form of a letter to his adolescent son. Coates shares with his son—and readers—the story of his own awakening to the truth about history and race through a series of revelatory experiences: immersion in nationalist mythology as a child; engagement with history, poetry and love at Howard University; travels to Civil War battlefields and the South Side of Chicago; a journey to France that reorients his sense of the world; and pilgrimages to the homes of mothers whose children’s lives have been taken as American plunder. Taken together, these stories map a winding path towards a kind of liberation—a journey from fear and confusion, to a full and honest understanding of the world as it is.
Masterfully woven from lyrical personal narrative, reimagined history, and fresh, emotionally charged reportage, Between the World and Me offers a powerful new framework for understanding America’s history and current crisis, and a transcendent vision for a way forward.
I agree with Toni Morrison that "this is required reading". Whether or not Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote this precisely for his son vs. His son and others, the book was short yet profound. Personal, brutally honest, compelling, and very powerful. Highly recommended.
I agree with Toni Morrison that "this is required reading". Whether or not Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote this precisely for his son vs. His son and others, the book was short yet profound. Personal, brutally honest, compelling, and very powerful. Highly recommended.
"Race is the child of racism, not the father." - Ta-Nehisi Coates, from Between the World and Me, which was book #7 in my 2022 journey of reading books that have been challenged or removed from Texas libraries or schools.
The antilibrarians feign concern for reader "DISCOMFORT." But to me, the readers who find most discomfort in Coates or Kendi will be those whose starting-place was that of TAKING COMFORT in (their belief in) their own "whiteness."
"Race is the child of racism, not the father." - Ta-Nehisi Coates, from Between the World and Me, which was book #7 in my 2022 journey of reading books that have been challenged or removed from Texas libraries or schools.
The antilibrarians feign concern for reader "DISCOMFORT." But to me, the readers who find most discomfort in Coates or Kendi will be those whose starting-place was that of TAKING COMFORT in (their belief in) their own "whiteness."
This book punched me in the gut. Repeatedly. "Race is the child of racism, not the father" (p. 7). I'd read a few pages, then set the book aside to rest my mind and let my heart heal. I'd always pick it back up, savoring its eloquence while smarting from its candor. I'd find myself simultaneously marveling and wincing. As I write this in 2020, our cities roil from peaceful protests and rioting. As a country, we grapple with our past, present, and future. Our West coast burns. We fight about masks, about the seriousness of COVID-19, about whether black lives or blue lives matter. We shout our viewpoints and unfollow those who view differently. Instead, we should talk less and listen more. Understand our shared humanity, the artificial notion of "race," the reality that our realities aren't universal. Realize that each person is "a particular [person] . . . …
This book punched me in the gut. Repeatedly. "Race is the child of racism, not the father" (p. 7). I'd read a few pages, then set the book aside to rest my mind and let my heart heal. I'd always pick it back up, savoring its eloquence while smarting from its candor. I'd find myself simultaneously marveling and wincing. As I write this in 2020, our cities roil from peaceful protests and rioting. As a country, we grapple with our past, present, and future. Our West coast burns. We fight about masks, about the seriousness of COVID-19, about whether black lives or blue lives matter. We shout our viewpoints and unfollow those who view differently. Instead, we should talk less and listen more. Understand our shared humanity, the artificial notion of "race," the reality that our realities aren't universal. Realize that each person is "a particular [person] . . . whose mind is active as your own, whose range of feeling is as vast as your own" (p. 69). Coates describes a reality that isn't mine, and I listened and learned. As much as it hurt, I'm glad I did.
Between the World and Me is a beautifully penned memoir-letter intended for the author's son, but also profound and meaningful for others, as well. Ta-Nehisi Coates has attempted to communicate what is was like for him to grow up as an African American male in this country during a certain time and how his feelings have been informed by his experiences and his knowledge of history. I found it informative and unforgettable.
I would recommend this to absolutely anyone; it's an important work.
Between the World and Me is a beautifully penned memoir-letter intended for the author's son, but also profound and meaningful for others, as well. Ta-Nehisi Coates has attempted to communicate what is was like for him to grow up as an African American male in this country during a certain time and how his feelings have been informed by his experiences and his knowledge of history. I found it informative and unforgettable.
I would recommend this to absolutely anyone; it's an important work.
Review of 'Between the World and Me' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Beautiful... tragic and kind. Written in poetic prose this letter to the author's 15 year old son is as near perfect to its purpose as I can imagine. This is required reading for everyone.
Beautiful... tragic and kind. Written in poetic prose this letter to the author's 15 year old son is as near perfect to its purpose as I can imagine. This is required reading for everyone.
