Blog #6

This section of the book is sort of where Coates reflects on everything he said and everything he feared. He fears lots of things, but he has learned to accept these things as part of the life of a black man. Life for him comes with so many disadvantages compared to mine. I have the ability to go through life on a level playing field. When I go places, I can blend in because most people are just like me. Coates has the disadvantage of sticking out wherever he goes, and there are more people watching him and judging his every move. These are problems, and the sad part while reading this book as Coates didn't have much hope for these problems. He mentioned that our parameters used to be limited by technology, but we have since conquered that. I think what he was getting at was that now our parameters are now limited by ourselves. Humans have invented many amazing things throughout history to help make everyday life easier. However, solving problems that we have with each other is far more complicated.

The feeling of hopelessness throughout this book is a common theme that keeps reappearing. Coates is telling his son about the realities that he will, without a doubt face someday. One thing I thought he might come up with at they end would be some sort of hope or theory that would help unify us all. However, Coates doesn't really doesn't do that. I do not blame him either. I don't think it's really a solution he could come up with if he wanted to. The solution has to start with us, looking in the mirror. Then, maybe someday, we can realize that we're not so different after all, especially in the eyes of our Lord

Blog 5

In this section, Coates talks a lot about the shooting of Prince Jones. He talked about how it all went down and how everything didn't add up to be justified. From the cop's reason for shooting him to the reason he was being followed in the first place, there was no good explanation for any of it.

Throughout everything that Coates says, I feel like what he is trying to get at is that life is so fragile. It can be here, molded and shaped for years, and then in an instant, it can be gone. He paints the picture of everything that could have been invested in Prince his whole life: all the miles to go to games, piano lessons, all the discipline, all the love. All of that can be spilled on the sidewalk in a few seconds.

The black community knows this far too well. They know that no matter how much they teach their children to be good, follow the rules, and respect authority, it might not even matter in the end. Who could expect to be shot by an under cover cop that followed you around dressed as a drug dealer and never showed is badge? There is never a feeling of safety, and that is so disheartening. In my head after I read this, I pictured a black father holding his new born son for the first time, and while there was a lot of joy in his heart, I couldn't help imagine there also being an overwhelming sense of fear as well knowing that his son could grow up someday to be another statistic. That mindset has to be the pinnacle of hopelessness.

Blog Post #4

In the beginning of this reading, Coates talks about his encounter with the police, and it made me reflect on my own encounters. I have been pulled over maybe three or four times and although I felt nervous about getting a ticket, I never once felt uneasy for my own life. I always did what my father taught me to do: pull over, turn your truck off, take the keys out and put them on the dash, and put your hands up on your steering wheel. My father told me that law enforcement notice that and they appreciate the respect, and they don't have to feel uneasy on their side either.

So far, that method worked out for me, but I don't think I have to worry about it as much as I would if I were in a big city. Around these parts, the cops and the citizens have a better relationship. I know the names of most of the cops in our town and so does most everybody. Most of them are really great people. I can't imagine a situation where I feel utterly hopeless in the hands of a cop like what Coates described. He knew that something could go down at any point in time for a very irrational reason, and that the cops would without a doubt get off basically free.

I don't think I've ever felt that kind of hopelessness before, and I hope I never have to. It sucks to keep hearing about all these lose/lose situations that Coates has experienced because it didn't happen to just him. It happened to black people all over, and still does today. Even though I feel decently confident traffic stops around here don't get as intense, I can't speak for big cities. There is a long road ahead for social justice with law enforcement, but I feel like we are slowly starting to draw more and more attention to the subject. More people are watching what cops do, some departments have to wear cameras (even though some cops have had their's "mysteriously shut off" when something goes down). I think we can be hopeful for the future so that no one will have to feel the hopelessness that Coates describes.

Between the World and Me Blog Post #3

The beginning of this reading really opens Coates' eyes to the history of oppression. He is trying to figure out what being black all entails and what he finds surprises him. He remembers back to his history class in high school. There he read about kings and queens of the world, and what he started to notice was that he related to the servants of the them. What he also started to notice was that some of these people that were being oppressed just like his people, weren't always black. This changed everything in Coates' mind about being black. He suddenly thought that being black had absolutely nothing to do with skin color anymore, it had to do with being on the bottom.

I had to sit and think about that statement for a while. Is black really that bad of a word in society? I never thought it was, but after watching that video in class of all those men of different races in a circle, I realized that just because I don't notice something happening, it doesn't mean it's not happening. Coates said the realizations of all of that was exhausting, and that's one thing I feel like I actually can somewhat relate to as I read this book, but in a different way. As Coates is getting exhausted about realizing black people are constantly in a lose lose situation in society, I'm starting to find out just how bad white people have made it for them. It's literally embarrassing and shameful. I can't relate to what Coates has been through, but I do think that I am capturing some of his emotion for it all. 

Blog 2

In this section of the book, you start to see more of what molded the author when he was growing up. He talked about the school system and how it was a joke. I have no idea what schools were like where he grew up, but I could believe that they didn't help save kids from the streets as much as most people thought. He also talked about the people that influenced him growing up. Since his dad always encouraged him to read, a lot of his role models were black authors. Coates said that the library was where he most felt free. I think that is so important to figure out when you are growing up. Finding what it is that makes you feel the most like you, because it is different for everyone. It meant a lot to him.

One of Coates' biggest role models growing up was Malcom X. A lot of the reason for this is because Malcom X was everything that Coates wished he could be. Everyone has a role model like that. This reading is where I feel like I have connected with Coates the most because no matter how differently we grew up, there are still some things inside of us that aren't all that different. I liked that. Hopefully I can keep some of this connection as Coates further explains his great desire of trying to get to the bottom of how all of this oppression came to be.

Blog #1 Pages 1-25

In the beginning of this book, the author is writing a letter to his son. I could tell the author was a very smart man by the way he talked. You could tell he knew his stuff and was very passionate about helping his son grow up in a world designed to help white people. However, he did not sugar coat anything or try to make it seem to his son that it would all be okay. He got to the point, and told it like it was. He wanted to make sure his son knew that the world was unfair and would cater to him. I liked that about the author. It seems like a good quality for a father to have. He's trying to teach his son to be a man, and I think he's doing it the right way.