Pgs 72-99

• “I knew that Prince was not killed by a single officer so much as he was murdered by his country and all the fears that have marked it from birth” (Coates 78). Why might Coates see the killing of Prince Jones in this way? Or, how does shifting the focus from the actions of a single officer to the US and a historical fear of Blacks alter the way we see police violence or killing? In responding to the question, draw a text-to-text connection with another part of Coates’ text.

Coates speaks of Prince Jones’ killing that way because he sees the country as responsible. Coates often speaks of being raised into something. He talks about people being “raised to believe they are white” and he talks about the fear that was raised into him. In the debate between nature vs nurture, Coates believes that nurture is winning when it comes to the behavior and ideas of US citizens. The leaders of the country have failed to correct the inhumane behavior demonstrated by so many racist, bigoted people, enabling them to continue hateful behavior. Fear can be a good thing in regards of keeping people safe. As Coates described, his parents taught him to be fearful in hopes to keep him safe, but as he said earlier in the book, “violence rose from the fear like smoke from a fire” (16/17). People who are afraid lash out, and Americans, who are taught fear from a young age, have shown this to be true. 

• “The galaxy belongs to them [Whites on West Broadway], and as terror was communicated to our children, I saw mastery communicated to theirs” (Coates 89). What do you think Coates means by this distinction between communicating terror and communicating mastery? Support your response with evidence from the text.

In this statement Coates is saying that white people don’t fear the streets and likely never will in the same way that black people do. For the family he talks about, they are having a normal day, safe on the streets, but as said so many times earlier in the book, the streets Coates knows are dangerous and violent. Black people don’t have the same security just existing that white people do. This may also be a historical reference in that white people, or slave masters, had not only mastery over the streets but over black people themselves. Black people were and are taught fear while white people are taught security.

• Offer ONE SIGNIFICANT PASSAGE you will be prepared to read and offer as a vehicle for class discussion. Quote the passage and write a few sentences explaining WHY you chose it and WHAT you’d like us to discuss in it.

Paragraph 2 on page 96

“A society, almost necessarily begins every success story with the chapter that most advantages itself, and in America these precipitating chapters are almost always rendered as the singular action of exceptional individuals. “It only takes one person to make a change,” you are often told. This is a myth. Perhaps one person can make a change but not the kind of change that would raise your body to equality with your countrymen. “

I continue to take interest in Coates’ realistic view of the world. The phrase “it only takes one person to make a change,” is usually used to inspire people, to inspire kids to want to grow and be someone important, who can feel like their work is important. Parents often try to shield their children from the world and to try to give them an optimistic outlook on life and I find the fact that Coates writes to his son about everything in a realistic way really fascinating. It may be better to know the reality of the world we live in, to know all of the dangers, and to know that change is something that is hard to achieve, but to many people it may seem like a pessimistic way of looking at life.