Between The World And Me by Ta-Nahisi Coates

 

This book is written by Coates to his son, to explain where he has come from and how being black will affect his life in the world.  His main point is that black people know that others can have sovereign over their bodies.  The United States economy was built on the backs of black people who were enslaved with all the horrors of that institution.  Even now, black people know that in a confrontation, they will be assigned the blame and if that confrontation is with the police, it can lead to imprisonment or death.

Coates starts with his childhood and how he was shocked by a young friend who casually pulled a gun as a group of kids was standing outside a store.  He grew up loving to read but was not a fan of school as such.  He chose to go to Howard University and there he found the acceptance and network that he had been looking for.  It was where he had his first loves and as a young man, his son was born, changing him forever.  Another life-changing event was a young man in his circle was followed across three counties by the police and eventually shot to death, reinforcing Coates' knowledge that the world was not safe for black people.  

This book was a National Book Award winner and a Pulitzer Prize finalist.  Readers who are white will be shocked to read the everyday world of a black man, even one as accomplished as Coates.  They hopefully will start to see why there is mistrust between the races and how society and wealth were built by those who often received none of its benefits.  Those who are parents will be sobered by a look into the scary world of those who know they cannot protect their children from the prejudice of society.  This book is recommended for nonfiction readers and those hoping to understand the gap between races.