Community Book Connection Proposal Form
Proposed by Nina Brown and Michelle Diane Wright______
Date of Proposal__October, 2015______
Part I—Basic Book Information
1. Title of book: Between the World and Me
2. Author: Ta-Nehisi Coates
3. Year published: 2015
4. Publisher: Spiegel and Grau
5. Number of pages: 176
6. Is there a paperback edition? No (likely release date summer 2016)
7. Book description (1-2 paragraphs):
Between the World and Me is a memoir written as a letter to Coates’ teenage son, a format that echoes James Baldwin’s classic work A Fire Next Time. Coates has written a searing and at times bleak consideration of the realities of racial inequality in the United States. Using his personal experiences as a basis for reflection, Coates explores some of the social, political and economic forces that have shaped the African American experience. While the book offers a strong indictment of racial injustice, it also celebrates the resilience and strength of African American families and social institutions such as Howard University, described by Coates as his personal “Mecca.” Perhaps the greatest contribution of the book as a tool for reflection and learning is the way in which Coates’ unflinching account breaks with the more typical pattern of treating racial issues in overly abstract and sterile ways. Racism, he reminds us, “is a visceral experience, that is it dislodges brains, blocks airways, rips muscle, extracts organs, cracks bones, breaks teeth” (p. 10).
The book explores many themes and issues that are directly relevant to the CCBC community. His account of his own life, along with his fear for his son, reveals the extent to which the legacy of slavery and segregation continue in the present. He makes a complex and interesting argument about the falsity of the “American Dream.” He explores what it means to come of age inhabiting a “black body” when the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner and many others make you “powerfully, adamantly, dangerously afraid” (p. 14). As a local author, Coates also explores the realities of life in Baltimore City and his observations can help students understand the circumstances that fueled the uprising in April. “To be black in the Baltimore of my youth,” Coates writes, “was to be naked before the elements of the world, before all the guns, fists, knives, crack, rape, and disease…the nakedness is the predictable upshot of people forced for centuries to live in fear” (p. 17).
8. Blurbs and endorsements (optional, paste 2-3 short blurbs):
“I’ve been wondering who might fill the intellectual void that plagued me after James Baldwin died. Clearly it is Ta-Nehisi Coates. The language of Between the World and Me, like Coates’s journey, is visceral, eloquent, and beautifully redemptive. And its examination of the hazards and hopes of black male life is as profound as it is revelatory.”—Toni Morrison
“Abrilliant thinker at the top of his powers, Coates has distilled four hundred years of history and his own anguish and wisdom into a prayer for his beloved son and an invocation to the conscience of his country.An instant classic and a gift to us all.”—Isabel Wilkerson, author of The Warmth of Other Suns
“Powerful and passionate . . . profoundly moving . . . a searing meditation on what it means to be black in America today.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
Part II—What Makes this a Good CBC Book?
In the following section briefly explain how the text fulfills the following criteria.
- Describe how it contains multiple themes that lend themselves to use by various
departments and functions throughout the college.
Between the World and Me explores issues of identity, focusing specifically on African American male identity, but also providing meaningful and interesting connections to discussions of whiteness and the social construction of race in general. This material would be easily incorporated into social science courses in disciplines such as Africana Studies, anthropology, history, psychology, sociology, and women’s studies. There is a focus throughout the book on the idea of justice, law, and policing that is relevant to criminal justice and political science. Utilizing a multilayered epistolary format, the book lends itself to analysis in English and communication studies courses. Many of the most powerful sections of the book describe Coates’ intellectual journey and the role of education, particularly college, in his life. This theme will have broad relevance across the college community.
- Is it at an accessible level for our students?
The writing level is accessible for students, but there are sections of the text that will be challenging for students to unpack. Coates does not always make his arguments in direct language. Some students will struggle more than others in making a connection with Coates’ personal experiences. Furthermore, there are several references that assume the reader’s appreciation of certain themes and cultural references specific to the African American community. Many readers will find that the anecdotes resonate with striking familiarity while others will be provided a glimpse into a world that a good part of the American population experiences on a daily basis. The fact that this book pushes readers on several levels, however, makes it an excellent teaching tool.
- Detail the way in which it is conducive to event planning.
The book lends itself to a wide array of potential events. The greatest advantage for event planning is that Coates is a local author. In addition to having him visit campus in person, we also have the opportunity to engage with family members, pertinent individuals and community organizations from the neighborhoods he mentions in the book. In addition to these local connections, the book lends itself to programs exploring issues of racial identity, social justice, and activism.
- Does this text possibly have a related theatre or film piece?
There are numerous films and theatre pieces that address topics related to the text as well as the specific historic events and locations mentioned. It could also be an excellent opportunity to utilize the annual Africana Studies Independent Film Festival to showcase themes explored within the book.
- Explain the ways that it is related to current social issues.
The April 2015 uprising made the deep structural inequalities that exist in Baltimore City headline news around the world. As residents of the Baltimore area, our students already have a connection to these issues, but they need opportunities to become more informed about the root causes of the unrest and to engage in dialogue with others. Between the World and Me provides an outstanding platform for creating these opportunities. Coates’ text is also perfectly positioned to provide a basis for considering prominent social movements such as #BlackLivesMatter and efforts to bring an end to mass incarceration.
- Describe how it is easily tied into existing CCBC events and clubs such as the Spotlight Speakers Series, Closing the Gap initiative, Creative Writing Forum, Women’s Studies Club, etc. etc.
There are multiple opportunities for connections with CCBC co-curricular initiatives. Student organizations such as the Anthropology Club, the Black Student Union, the Instituted for Economic and Social Justice, and the Multicultural Students Association have all supported events and programs related to racial justice in the past and would be likely to sponsor activities in support of this book.
- Is it either relatively short; or does it have chapters that may be studied independently of the whole work? (We ask that all proposed books be under 400 pages.)
The text is relatively short. In addition, it can be assigned in sections.
- Has this text been used successfully in the classroom?
This book is recently published (July 2015) and is just beginning to be adopted by instructors for classroom use. Given its length and social relevance it seems likely to be a popular addition to many courses.