Almost done with this book now. This is a new writer to me, and I don't really jump for new writers that often. The only reason I know of his existence even is from his appearance on Daily Show. (P.S. Jon Stewart, you're missed!). On this episode, the current host of Trevor Noah and Coates were discussing the mass incarceration situation and the sort of new-age slavery this thing is turning out to be. I had just come from seeing the Vice documentary on the same topic. So I thought this guy seems to know a lot about this topic, why don't I pick up this book he's spouting on the show about. Bad idea.
Don't get me wrong, this guy seems to be a well-respected knowledgeable person of the things he is talking about. But the book was so tough to complete. That is not necessarily due to uncomfortable topic of racial discrimination it is talking about. The difficulty is more to do with the writing itself. This topic provides so much material and there are so many ways the writer can choose to present it to the reader. But Coates just seems to go on and in an angry rant about color and of the people who think they are "white". He fashions it as a long letter to his fifteen-year-old son to educate him about the atrocities his community still faces in this day and age. And how everyone not them, is out to murder their "black body".
I am from India. We don't have this variety of discrimination in our country. There are way too many shades of colored people here to keep track of whom to hate on. We just make do with typical the class or religious or sexual discrimination that is common to most cultures. I also won't say people here don't hold prejudice against any dark skinned people. But I think that is just an extension of the class discrimination we have. Here the dark skin indicates you are a member of the poorer peasant-class of people and the lighter skinned people are superior/wealthier to you. (People who think that are essentially orthodox and stupid though. Yeah tradition, bitch!)
In reality there are moments in this book were Coates himself comes as a bit of a racist. He clearly has enough reason to hold a grudge against a lot people. He says much about a young man he knew personally that got shot down by a cop. Also a bit about the way he gets stopped without just cause by a cop while he was en-route to meet his girlfriend. All this anger does have its justifications. There are always catalysts to initiate this sort of white rage in any person. But such carpet hatred and anger towards one specific group, is exactly what you are going through as well. Why would you want others to go through the same thing as well? I am sure a few people from Big Six would agree to this. While I concede, I might not have seen or experienced this sort of life. I wouldn't know what you go through on a daily basis. But - Discrimination and prejudice, is never an answer to discrimination and prejudice. It is just leads to another 'snake eats its own tail' situation.
The book did have a few good moments. Especially when he talks about grown-ass men abandoning their children, putting on loose shirts and bling to going out on the street corners and play gangsta. The book also is deeply rooted in black-subculture and talks a lot about its big names. I've even got to introduced to a lot of new personalities here that I would definitely google more about. (Otis Redding!)
And that's about it. This book is one long essay by a guy, ranting about how his people are pressed to ground for centuries and how angry he feels when another cop puts down a colored person without anyone else batting an eye about it. That very might be the case but this guy just didn't word his argument too well.
Heeding to various suggestions my next read - "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
Don't get me wrong, this guy seems to be a well-respected knowledgeable person of the things he is talking about. But the book was so tough to complete. That is not necessarily due to uncomfortable topic of racial discrimination it is talking about. The difficulty is more to do with the writing itself. This topic provides so much material and there are so many ways the writer can choose to present it to the reader. But Coates just seems to go on and in an angry rant about color and of the people who think they are "white". He fashions it as a long letter to his fifteen-year-old son to educate him about the atrocities his community still faces in this day and age. And how everyone not them, is out to murder their "black body".
I am from India. We don't have this variety of discrimination in our country. There are way too many shades of colored people here to keep track of whom to hate on. We just make do with typical the class or religious or sexual discrimination that is common to most cultures. I also won't say people here don't hold prejudice against any dark skinned people. But I think that is just an extension of the class discrimination we have. Here the dark skin indicates you are a member of the poorer peasant-class of people and the lighter skinned people are superior/wealthier to you. (People who think that are essentially orthodox and stupid though. Yeah tradition, bitch!)
In reality there are moments in this book were Coates himself comes as a bit of a racist. He clearly has enough reason to hold a grudge against a lot people. He says much about a young man he knew personally that got shot down by a cop. Also a bit about the way he gets stopped without just cause by a cop while he was en-route to meet his girlfriend. All this anger does have its justifications. There are always catalysts to initiate this sort of white rage in any person. But such carpet hatred and anger towards one specific group, is exactly what you are going through as well. Why would you want others to go through the same thing as well? I am sure a few people from Big Six would agree to this. While I concede, I might not have seen or experienced this sort of life. I wouldn't know what you go through on a daily basis. But - Discrimination and prejudice, is never an answer to discrimination and prejudice. It is just leads to another 'snake eats its own tail' situation.
The book did have a few good moments. Especially when he talks about grown-ass men abandoning their children, putting on loose shirts and bling to going out on the street corners and play gangsta. The book also is deeply rooted in black-subculture and talks a lot about its big names. I've even got to introduced to a lot of new personalities here that I would definitely google more about. (Otis Redding!)
And that's about it. This book is one long essay by a guy, ranting about how his people are pressed to ground for centuries and how angry he feels when another cop puts down a colored person without anyone else batting an eye about it. That very might be the case but this guy just didn't word his argument too well.
Heeding to various suggestions my next read - "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
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