The best way that I can describe this book is that it is a first-hand recount of the American Black experience. Ta-Nehisi writes this book as a letter/memoir to his son explaining what it is like to be a Black man in America. Ta-Nehisi shares directly and powerfully answering anticipated questions that his son may have, growing up in this world where power, privilege, and expectations range vastly for each person, contingent on the color of their skin.
This book is an important book to read, not just to be aware of what is going on in our communities, but what is going on in our minds, and the minds of those around us. Understanding and coming to terms that my experience is not your experience is crucial to individual responses and growth in the areas of power, privilege, and expectations. You can expect to hear a first-hand explanation for what racism is and how it works, which is palatable and is yet also unpalatable. What I mean by this is that Between the World and Me will prompt you to see things that cannot be unseen; the masks of racism are explained in ways that will inspire sober thinking about concepts of power, privilege, and expectations. Simply put, Between the World and Me contend that my experience is not your experience.
As if this were not enough reason to engage in these topics, the way that Ta-Nehisi goes about answering his son’s questions about racism is simple enough to understand without objection. The experiences that are referenced in the book give clarity to the double standards that perpetuate unequal power, privilege, and expectations.
Between the World and Me is a suggested read not just in light of current events, but also because you will grow in your understanding of power, privilege, and expectations as Ta-Nehisi shows that his experience is not necessarily your experience.
“You have been cast into a race in which the wind is always in your face and the hounds are always at your heels. And varying degrees this is true of all of life. The difference is that you do not have the privilege of living in ignorance of this essential fact” (Coates, Between the World and Me, p.107).
Here is the link to get Between the World and Me on Amazon.
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