Between the World and Me

Ta-Nehisi Coates

Written a letter to his 16 year old son, Coates explores what it means to grow up and live as a black man in America. He is unapologetic in his identification and descriptions of a systematic racism that exists, and seemingly will continue to exist forever, in this country. His arguments stem from the foundation of this country on slave labor, and the deep capitalist identity that this country has owned. One cannot have a capitalist identity (where capital is god) without recognizing that the first infusion of capital has human. Coates primary language of this capital is Body. He is eloquent in his description of the role of the physical body in the identity of blacks. Admittedly, he recognizes that he does not have a faith system that allows him to spiritualize anything. So when a black person is killed, his body is taken from him, and that is all. For Coates, there is no higher meaning than body.

Contrast this focus on the biology with an NPR piece I heard on the radio about "Gender Fluidity". Here we were introduced to people who argued that their gender could change day-to-day. That is, they were not gendered male, but with a female body. Instead, regardless of the biology of their body, they could wake up one day male and the next female. This completely disregards the biology of the body and pushes the source of gender identity somewhere else.

Is body everything... or is body nothing...

Definitely read this book, and then go talk to someone about it. Regardless of your place on the body/spirit spectrum, Coates presents an important perspective on race history and identity in this country. As he states, just as a male will never truly have an idea of what it means to be female, to live in and protect a female body, I will never truly have an idea of what it means to live in an protect a black body. I can read, discuss, be sympathetic, but am always at least one step removed from the body.

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