- Dec 2023
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betweentheworldandme1.wordpress.com betweentheworldandme1.wordpress.comChapter 335
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She alluded to 12 Years a Slave. “There he was,” she said, speaking of Solomon Northup. “He had means. He had a family. He was living like a human being. And one racist act took him back. And the same is true of me. I spent years developing a career, acquiring assets, engaging responsibilities. And one racist act. It’s all it takes.”
"12 Years a Slave" is a historical drama film based on the true story of Solomon Northup, a free African American man who is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the pre-Civil War United States. The movie depicts his journey as he struggles to survive and maintain his dignity during 12 years of enslavement. It explores themes of brutality, resilience, and the enduring human spirit in the face of injustice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_Years_a_Slave_(film)
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noose
a loop with a slipknot that binds closer the more it is drawn. “Noose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noose. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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MCs
a performer of rap music : EMCEE, RAPPER. “Mc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mc. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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hopscotch squares.
a child's game in which a player tosses an object (such as a stone) into areas of a figure outlined on the ground and hops through the figure and back to regain the object. “Hopscotch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hopscotch. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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reverie
DAYDREAM; the condition of being lost in thought. “Reverie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverie. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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imbibed
DRINK. “Imbibe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imbibe. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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nerds
a person devoted to intellectual, academic, or technical pursuits or interests. “Nerd.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nerd. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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geeks
a person often of an intellectual bent who is disliked. “Geek.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geek. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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donned
to put on (an article of clothing). “Don.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/don. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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bleachers
(bleacher) a usually uncovered stand of tiered planks providing seating for spectators —usually used in plural. “Bleacher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bleacher. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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rouse
to stir up: EXCITE. “Rouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rouse. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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scorned
to treat with scorn: reject or dismiss as contemptible or unworthy; (scorn) open dislike and disrespect or mockery often mixed with indignation. “Scorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scorn. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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an entire race of Skywalkers
The Skywalkers, central figures in the Star Wars saga, are a legendary family marked by courage and destiny.
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hurling
to send or thrust with great vigor. “Hurl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hurl. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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idle
not occupied or employed. “Idle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idle. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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jaunts off
a usually short journey or excursion undertaken especially for pleasure. “Jaunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jaunt. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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sullied
to make soiled or tarnished. “Sully.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sully. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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undercuts
to undermine or destroy the force, value, or effectiveness of. “Undercut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undercut. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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begrudged
to give or concede reluctantly or with displeasure. “Begrudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/begrudge. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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belated
existing or appearing past the normal or proper time. “Belated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belated. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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Once, the Dream’s parameters were caged by technology and by the limits of horsepower and wind. But the Dreamers have improved themselves, and the damming of seas for voltage, the extraction of coal, the transmuting of oil into food, have enabled an expansion in plunder with no known precedent. And this revolution has freed the Dreamers to plunder not just the bodies of humans but the body of the Earth itself. The Earth is not our creation. It has no respect for us. It has no use for us. And its vengeance is not the fire in the cities but the fire in the sky. Something more fierce than Marcus Garvey is riding on the whirlwind. Something more awful than all our African ancestors is rising with the seas.
Here Coates draws a connection between racism and environmentalism, highlighting how the destructive impact of white supremacist industrial capitalism is actively contributing to the global degradation.
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Prince Aragorn
Aragorn, the valiant hero of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic "The Lord of the Rings".
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Buck Rogers
Buck Rogers, hero of a science-fiction comic strip created by Phil Nowlan. “Buck Rogers.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Buck%20Rogers. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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pilfer
especially : to steal stealthily in small amounts and often again and again. “Pilfer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pilfer. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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heaped
to throw or lay in a heap : pile or collect in great quantity. “Heap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heap. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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poise
a particular way of carrying oneself. “Poise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poise. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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magnet school
a school with superior facilities and staff and often a specialized curriculum designed to attract pupils from throughout a city or school district. “Magnet school.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnet%20school. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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uproariously
(uproar) a state of commotion, excitement, or violent disturbance. “Uproar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uproar. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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rectitude
moral integrity. “Rectitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rectitude. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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sharecroppers
a tenant farmer especially in the southern U.S. who is provided with credit for seed, tools, living quarters, and food, who works the land, and who receives an agreed share of the value of the crop minus charges. “Sharecropper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharecropper. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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chasm
a marked division, separation, or difference. “Chasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chasm. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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quilt
a bed coverlet of two layers of cloth filled with padding (such as down or batting) held in place by ties or stitched designs. “Quilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quilt. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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Homecoming
the return of a group of people usually on a special occasion to a place formerly frequented or regarded as home especially : an annual celebration for alumni at a high school, college, or university —often used before another noun. “Homecoming.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homecoming. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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upended
to set or stand on end. “Upend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upend. Accessed 20 Dec. 2023.
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JAMES BALDWIN
James Baldwin was an American novelist renowned for his exploration of racial and social issues. He is the author of "The Fire Next Time". you can read more about him here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/james-baldwin The quotation comes from James Baldwin’s essay “On Being White… and Other Lies”.
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betweentheworldandme1.wordpress.com betweentheworldandme1.wordpress.comChapter 260
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Seven years after I saw the pictures of those doors, I received my first adult passport. I wish I had come to it sooner. I wish, when I was back in that French class, that I had connected the conjugations, verbs, and gendered nouns to something grander. I wish someone had told me what that class really was—a gate to some other blue world.
Coates refers to the first chapter of the book, in which he could not understand why school made him study French; in fact, it is stated "All of it felt so distant to me. I remember sitting in my seventh-grade French class and not having any idea why I was there. I did not know any French people, and nothing around me suggested I ever would. France was a rock rotating in another galaxy, around another sun, in another sky that I would never cross. Why, precisely, was I sitting in this classroom?" Now, Coates defines what he believes to be the real aim of education, something he could not have done without traveling and maturing.
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Daisy Dukes
very short trousers that end just below the hip, made from jeans that have been cut short. (Definition of daisy dukes from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
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I was feeling myself beyond any natural right.
"feeling myself" means having self-esteem, regarding oneself highly, especially in terms of physical appearance. "beyond any natural right" means "more than I had a natural right to." he was appreciating his physical appearance to a high degree. I found this explanation here: https://www.reddit.com/r/EnglishLearning/comments/jxk1zx/my_caesar_was_geometric_my_lineup_was_sharp_as_a/
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My Caesar was geometric. My lineup was sharp as a sword.
both of these sentences refer to a hairstyle. a Caesar or lineup (they're basically the same, or at least very similar, as far as I can tell) is a style where the hair is cut perfectly horizontal across the forehead, and then often cut perfectly vertically near the temples (the dimples/divots on the sides of the forehead, in front of the ears), making a square/rectangle shape that frames the top of the face. calling this haircut "sharp" means that the lines were straight and clean. I found this explanation here: https://www.reddit.com/r/EnglishLearning/comments/jxk1zx/my_caesar_was_geometric_my_lineup_was_sharp_as_a/
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Ghostface Killah
American rapper and a member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghostface_Killah
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“Black-on-black crime”
it is "a phrase or a concept that at times, recently, has been used by some conservatives to ask why the same activists and community members calling for police reform seemingly, in their view, don't express the same outrage when someone who is Black is killed or injured by another Black person." https://abcnews.go.com/US/black-black-crime-loaded-controversial-phrase-heard-amid/story?id=72051613 You can read more about it by reading Bernard D. Headley's ""Black on Black" Crime: The Myth and the Reality" here: https://www.jstor.org/stable/29766208
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But American reunion was built on a comfortable narrative that made enslavement into benevolence, white knights of body snatchers, and the mass slaughter of the war into a kind of sport in which one could conclude that both sides conducted their affairs with courage, honor, and élan. This lie of the Civil War is the lie of innocence, is the Dream. Historians conjured the Dream. Hollywood fortified the Dream. The Dream was gilded by novels and adventure stories.
Again, we see Richard T. Hughes' idea of myth of the innocent nation in Coates' writing.
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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 also a myth.
To know more about American exceptionalism, please look at this previous note: https://hyp.is/ktCZOIxxEe6ZfLf-VNUJpA/betweentheworldandme1.wordpress.com/2023/11/15/chapter-2/
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Ground Zero
"Ground Zero" refers to to the destroyed World Trade Center cite after 9/11.
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I would never consider any American citizen pure. I was out of sync with the city. I kept thinking about how southern Manhattan had always been Ground Zero for us. They auctioned our bodies down there, in that same devastated, and rightly named, financial district. And there was once a burial ground for the auctioned there. They built a department store over part of it and then tried to erect a government building over another part. Only a community of right-thinking black people stopped them. I had not formed any of this into a coherent theory. But I did know that Bin Laden was not the first man to bring terror to that section of the city. I never forgot that. Neither should you.
According to Richard T. Hughes, Coates places upon Ground Zero, the Manhattan area ravaged by the events of 9/11, an interpretation that differs greatly from the generally accepted viewpoint, basing his claim on the premise that "Coates found this habit of forgetting in virtually every nook and corner of American history" and that he "understood that the American claim to innocence is deeply rooted in the claim the Dreamers make that the United States transcends the constraints of history". As we will see when talking about the Civil War, 9/11 is but one example of this concept. HUGHES, RICHARD T., et al. “The Myth of the Innocent Nation: The Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries.” Myths America Lives By: White Supremacy and the Stories That Give Us Meaning, University of Illinois Press, 2018, pp. 198–238. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.5406/j.ctv65sz08.12. Accessed 26 Dec. 2023.
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Working Girl
"A 1988 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols, written by Kevin Wade, set in New York".
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Breakfast at Tiffany’s
"A 1961 American romantic comedy film directed by Blake Edwards, written by George Axelrod, adapted from Truman Capote's 1958 novella of the same name, set in New York". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakfast_at_Tiffany%27s_(film)
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Crossing Delancey
"A 1988 American romantic comedy film adapted by Susan Sandler from her play of the same name, and directed by Joan Micklin Silver, set in New York". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_Delancey
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We arrived two months before September 11, 2001. I suppose everyone who was in New York that day has a story. Here is mine:
The September 11 attacks are a "series of airline hijackings and suicide attacks committed in 2001 by 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda against targets in the United States, the deadliest terrorist attacks on American soil in U.S. history." https://www.britannica.com/event/September-11-attacks
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Wu-Tang
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Commodore 64,
The Commodore 64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64
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You are all we have, and you come to us endangered. I think we would like to kill you ourselves before seeing you killed by the streets that America made. That is a philosophy of the disembodied, of a people who control nothing, who can protect nothing, who are made to fear not just the criminals among them but the police who lord over them with all the moral authority of a protection racket. It was only after you that I understood this love, that I understood the grip of my mother’s hand.
Coates adds to what he said in chapter one (https://hyp.is/5OK20ox4Ee6ywbNiaYBeIQ/betweentheworldandme1.wordpress.com/2023/11/15/chapter-2/) with his son being born, he now understands the struggles his parents had to overcome in order to raise him.
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World Book
an American encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Book_Encyclopedia
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Childcraft
Childcraft is a multi-volume illustrated anthology for children, which originated in 1934. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childcraft
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in rejection of a Christian God,
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in their clutches
Idiom: in someone's or something's claws. “In someone's or something's clutches.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20someone%27s%20or%20something%27s%20clutches. Accessed 26 Dec. 2023.
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And so I knew that the PG County police had killed Elmer Clay Newman, then claimed he’d rammed his own head into the wall of a jail cell. And I knew that they’d shot Gary Hopkins and said he’d gone for an officer’s gun. And I knew they had beaten Freddie McCollum half-blind and blamed it all on a collapsing floor.
You can read more about them here: https://giuliaandlaraproject.wordpress.com/description-on-people-events-and-placed-cited-in-the-book/
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realtors
used for a real estate agent who is a member of the National Association of Realtors. “Realtor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Realtor. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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respite
an interval of rest or relief. “Respite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/respite. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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accolades
a mark of acknowledgment : AWARD. “Accolade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accolade. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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cap and gown
the cap and gown that together constitute academic costume. “Cap and gown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cap%20and%20gown. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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pews
one of the benches with backs and sometimes doors fixed in rows in a church. “Pew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pew. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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eviction
to recover (property) from a person by legal process. to force out : EXPEL. “Evict.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evict. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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precipice
a very steep or overhanging place. “Precipice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precipice. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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demeanor
behavior toward others : outward manner. “Demeanor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demeanor. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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trailing
to follow along behind. “Trail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trail. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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retrofitted
to adapt to a new purpose or need : MODIFY. “Retrofit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retrofit. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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inveighing against
to protest or complain about (something or someone) very strongly. “Inveigh against.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inveigh%20against. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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countenance
to extend approval or toleration to : SANCTION. “Countenance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/countenance. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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paperweights
a usually small heavy object used to hold down loose papers (as on a desk). “Paperweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paperweight. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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churning
to agitate (milk or cream) in a churn in order to make butter. “Churn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/churn. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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slovenliness
untidy especially in personal appearance. “Slovenly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slovenly. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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sullenness
gloomily or resentfully silent or repressed. “Sullen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sullen. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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pruned
to reduce especially by eliminating superfluous matter. “Prune.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prune. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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stovewood
wood sawed into stove lengths. “Stovewood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stovewood. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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uplifting
to improve the spiritual, social, or intellectual condition of. “Uplift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uplift. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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gashing
to make deep long cut in flesh. “Gash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gash. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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manglings
to injure with deep disfiguring wounds by cutting, tearing, or crushing. “Mangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mangle. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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gilded
to give an attractive but often deceptive appearance to. “Gild.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gild. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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tantalized
to tease or torment by or as if by presenting something desirable to the view but continually keeping it out of reach. “Tantalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tantalize. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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onset
BEGINNING, COMMENCEMENT. “Onset.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onset. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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marshaled
to bring together and order in an appropriate or effective way. “Marshal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marshal. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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covenants
a usually formal, solemn, and binding agreement : COMPACT; a written agreement or promise usually under seal between two or more parties especially for the performance of some action. “Covenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/covenant. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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baffled
extremely confused or puzzled. “Baffled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baffled. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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probing
to search into and explore very thoroughly : subject to a penetrating investigation. “Probe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/probe. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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retrenchment
REDUCTION, CURTAILMENT specifically : a cutting of expenses. “Retrenchment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retrenchment. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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dullard
a stupid or unimaginative person. “Dullard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dullard. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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hampered
to moderate or limit the effect or full exercise of. “Hamper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hamper. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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bemused
marked by confusion or bewilderment. “Bemused.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bemused. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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rapport
a friendly, harmonious relationship. “Rapport.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rapport. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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vantage
a position giving a strategic advantage, commanding perspective, or comprehensive view. “Vantage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vantage. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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halting
marked by a lack of sureness or effectiveness. “Halting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/halting. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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thronged
to crowd together in great numbers. “Throng.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throng. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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billowing
to rise or roll in waves or surges. “Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/billow. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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freighted
to load with goods for transportation. “Freight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freight. Accessed 19 Dec. 2023.
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betweentheworldandme1.wordpress.com betweentheworldandme1.wordpress.comChapter 1104
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redlining
to withhold home-loan funds or insurance from neighborhoods considered poor economic risks. “Redline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/redline. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023. To know more, please take a look at this DH project about redlining: https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/
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You cannot forget how much they took from us and how they transfigured our very bodies into sugar, tobacco, cotton, and gold.
A very powerful and metaphorical expression that reflects on the historical exploitation of African people during the aforementioned era of slavery in America, that perfectly aligns with the idea of body the author thoroughly explained in the first chapter. To know more: https://www.history.com/news/slavery-profitable-southern-economy
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We are, as Derrick Bell once wrote, the “faces at the bottom of the well.”
In "Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism" Derrick Bell uses allegory and historical example to argue that racism is an integral and permanent part of American society. The whole book is available on Internet Archive. https://ia600203.us.archive.org/5/items/facesatbottomofw00bellrich/facesatbottomofw00bellrich.pdf
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Son
The whole book takes the form of a letter from the author to his son. It mimics Baldwin's "The Fire Next Time." If you want to know more, take a look at Kelly Walter Carney's “Brother Outsider: James Baldwin, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Exile Literature.” CLA Journal, vol. 60, no. 4, 2017, pp. 448–57. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26557005. It explores the comparison between James Baldwin's "The Fire Next Time" and Ta-Nehisi Coates's "Between the World and Me.". In addition to that, it delves into the writers' connections with the Black community, their confrontation with the white community, and their experiences of exile and return, particularly in France. <br /> Also, among many other interesting lines of thoughts. Simon Abramowitsch talks about the general displacement of Coates's son in the text as a whole by noting how after directing addressing him as "son" in the first line, one has to wait roughly five pages before he starts readdressing him intimately ("I write you in your fifteenth year."). In Addition to that, he notices that what fills the void between these two lines are Whiteness and the deeds of white supremacy. To read more refer to: Abramowitsch, Simon. “Addressing Blackness, Dreaming Whiteness: Negotiating 21st-Century Race and Readership in Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me.” CLA Journal, vol. 60, no. 4, 2017, pp. 458–78. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26557006. Accessed 26 Dec. 2023.
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Do not speak to me of martyrdom,of men who die to be rememberedon some parish day.I don’t believe in dyingthough, I too shall die.And violets like castanetswill echo me.
The poem comes from Sonia Sanchez's poem "Malcolm". It is a response to Malcom X's assassination. It celebrates the grand things he did for African culture. The whole poem can be read here: https://genius.com/Sonia-sanchez-malcolm-annotated
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SONIA SANCHEZ
She was an American poet, writer and professor. She was one of the main voices of the Black Arts Movement. You can read more about her here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/sonia-sanchez
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concocted
DEVISE, FABRICATE. “Concoct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concoct. Accessed 26 Dec. 2023.
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Chancellor Williams’s Destruction of Black Civilization
A very important book that offers a new approach to the research and study of African history, because it shifts the main focus from the history of Arabs and Europeans in Africa to the Africans themselves. It significantly contributed to the comprehension of the current position of the Black community in terms of time and space. His work explores "how we got here and what history and circumstance demand of us to be done to get us to another place, to a higher level of survival". Killens, John Oliver (1975) "Book Review:The Destruction of Black Civilization," New Directions: Vol. 2: Iss. 2, Article 10. Available at: https://dh.howard.edu/newdirections/vol2/iss2/10
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I had my readings of every issue of The Source and Vibe.
They are both very famous magazines that focus about Hip-Hop, R&B and black culture. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibe_(magazine)
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Ice Cube’s album Death Certificate: “Let me live my life, if we can no longer live our life, then let us give our life for the liberation and salvation of the black nation.”
Ice Cube is a very influential American rapper. He is a founding member of the rap group cited before, N.W.A. (Niggaz Wit Attitudes). https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ice-Cube
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“If you’re black, you were born in jail,”
A quote from "The Ballot or The Bullet (Detroit Version)". Malcolm X's speech at a meeting sponsored by the Congress for Racial Equality in Detroit, Michigan, April 12, 1964. Also read https://giuliaandlaraproject.wordpress.com/if-youre-born-in-america-with-a-black-skin-youre-born-in-prison/
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Black is beautiful—which is to say that the black body is beautiful, that black hair must be guarded against the torture of processing and lye, that black skin must be guarded against bleach, that our noses and mouths must be protected against modern surgery. We are all our beautiful bodies and so must never be prostrate before barbarians, must never submit our original self, our one of one, to defiling and plunder.
The author refers to the fact that African Americans —especially women — have, at times, faced pressure to conform to societal norms and expectations that may have involved covering or downplaying certain aspects of their racial identity. This is due to various factors, including systemic racism, discriminatory practices, and societal expectations. To know more, read: Robinette, Sabrina E., "The Imposition of White Beauty Standards on Black Women" (2019). Student Publications. 847. https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/847
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Why were only our heroes nonviolent? I speak not of the morality of nonviolence, but of the sense that blacks are in especial need of this morality.
Coates challenges a preconception that dates back to the Civil Rights Movement. Grand people like Martin Luther King and his followers were non-violent and were revered for doing so. On the other hand, aggressive activists were considered deviants. Having said that, Coates wonders why it is always the oppressed that have to maintain this kind of holy aura of morality around them, while tyrants get to do whatever they want. He considers criticizing acts of violence used to protest against unfairness hypocritical in a country such as America, which is built on violence. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Martin-Luther-King-Jr/The-Montgomery-bus-boycott
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Every February my classmates and I were herded into assemblies for a ritual review of the Civil Rights Movement. Our teachers urged us toward the example of freedom marchers, Freedom Riders, and Freedom Summers, and it seemed that the month could not pass without a series of films dedicated to the glories of being beaten on camera.
The terms "Freedom Marchers," "Freedom Riders," and "Freedom Summer" refer to different aspects of the civil rights movement in the United States during the 1960s. Each of them represents a specific form of activism aimed at promoting civil rights for African Americans. To know more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Riders#CITEREFArsenault2006 https://www.crmvet.org/tim/timhis66.htm
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Nas
Nas is an American rapper and songwriter. He is considered one of the most influential and revered figures in the hip-hop genre. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nas
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The boy with the small eyes reached into his ski jacket and pulled out a gun
The ease of obtaining guns in America is influenced by a combination of historical, legal, and cultural factors, such as the Second Amendment of the constitution, varied state laws and the "gun show loophole". The issue of gun access is VERY complex, and there are ongoing debates about the balance between individual rights (given by the constitution) and public safety. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/09/13/key-facts-about-americans-and-guns/
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the music that pumped from boom boxes full of grand boast and bluster.
The author refers to rap and gansta rap music. It has been a powerful and influential cultural phenomenon, particularly among African Americans, reflecting and expressing the struggles, history, and culture of the community. https://www.britannica.com/art/rap https://www.britannica.com/art/gangsta-rap
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Gwynn Oak
Gwynn Oak Park, situated in the Gwynn Oak community just northwest of Baltimore, Maryland, in Baltimore County. It gained historical significance as a site of protests against racial segregation, primarily stemming from its whites-only admissions policy during its operational years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwynn_Oak_Park#cite_note-2
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the killers of Michael Brown would go free.
The killing of Michael Brown took place on August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri, USA. Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African American, was fatally shot by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. The incident sparked widespread protests and became a focal point in the national conversation about police violence and systemic racism. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/michael-brown-killed-by-police-ferguson-mo
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The Dream is treehouses and the Cub Scouts. The Dream smells like peppermint but tastes like strawberry shortcake. And for so long I have wanted to escape into the Dream, to fold my country over my head like a blanket. But this has never been an option because the Dream rests on our backs, the bedding made from our bodies. And knowing this, knowing that the Dream persists by warring with the known world, I was sad for the host, I was sad for all those families, I was sad for my country, but above all, in that moment, I was sad for you.
"The Dream" is a very important concept in the book. What he means by it is his own design of the American Dream, which usually refers to the idea that equality and freedom stand as the foundations of the American's nation, and therefore anyone can prosper in the U.S. as long as they work hard for it. The author argues that the foundations are not quality and freedom, but rather the exploitation of Black People. Additionally, he believes that the dream cannot exist without racist injustice, and is therefore incompatible with African American's empowerment.
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Eric Garner choked to death for selling cigarettes; because you know now that Renisha McBride was shot for seeking help, that John Crawford was shot down for browsing in a department store. And you have seen men in uniform drive by and murder Tamir Rice, a twelve-year-old child whom they were oath-bound to protect. And you have seen men in the same uniforms pummel Marlene Pinnock,
A list of unjust killing of African Americans done by the police without real motives. Those cases started the Black Lives Matter social movement, which promotes anti-racism and tries to highlight acts of racism, racial inequality and discrimination suffered by black people. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Lives-Matter
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Perhaps there has been, at some point in history, some great power whose elevation was exempt from the violent exploitation of other human bodies.
Coates underlines the fact that many civilizations (maybe even ones that we, in our minds, consider "good") used slavery as a main economical tool. To name but a few: ancient Egypt, ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/slavery-in-history/
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body
As we will see, the author really stresses on the concept of body. It is a recurring theme during the first part of the novel. To him, racism is not merely a concept, rather, as he will explain later on, a "visceral experience, [...] it dislodges brains, blocks airways, rips muscle, extracts organs, cracks bones, breaks teeth. You must never look away from this. You must always remember that the sociology, the history, the economics, the graphs, the charts, the regressions all land, with great violence, upon the body. For an in-depth analysis of the concept of body in Ta-Nehisi Coates's phenomenology of the body, please look at James B. Haile's "Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Phenomenology of the Body". The Journal of Speculative Philosophy, 31(3), 493–503. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/jspecphil.31.3.0493. The essay explores Ta-Nehisi Coates's book "Between the World and Me" as a materialist cosmology of the body. It delves into Coates's emphasis on the body, particularly the black body, as a key element in understanding race and race relations in America.
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nightstick
a police officer's club. “Nightstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nightstick. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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posthumous
following or occurring after death. “Posthumous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/posthumous. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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nuance
a subtle distinction or variation. “Nuance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nuance. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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foyer
an anteroom or lobby especially of a theater. “Foyer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foyer. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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threshold
GATE, DOOR; END, BOUNDARY. “Threshold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threshold. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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Prince Jones
Prince Jones was a young African American man whose tragic death occurred on September 1, 2000, in Fairfax County, Virginia. His death gained attention because it involved a police officer, and it raised questions about the use of deadly force and the circumstances surrounding the incident. He is particularly important figure for the author that will be further analysed in the next chapters. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2000/10/24/decision-on-officer-angers-family/edc1626f-fa4c-4a06-8d92-333f21341c9d/
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harnessed
UTILIZE. “Harness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harness. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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unruly
not readily ruled, disciplined, or managed. “Unruly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unruly. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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Advil
Trademark used for a preparation of ibuprofen. “Advil.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/Advil. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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ostensibly
in an ostensible manner; (ostensible) being such in appearance : plausible rather than demonstrably true or real. “Ostensible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ostensible. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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dazed
unable to think clearly or act normally due to injury, shock, bewilderment, fatigue, etc. “Dazed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dazed. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a legendary hip-hop group from Staten Island, New York. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wu-Tang-Clan
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heap
a great number or large quantity : LOT. “Heap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heap. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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pariah
someone or something that is despised or rejected : OUTCAST. “Pariah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pariah. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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simian
of, relating to, or resembling monkeys or apes. “Simian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/simian. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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agitprop
PROPAGANDA; especially : political propaganda promulgated chiefly in literature, drama, music, or art. “Agitprop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agitprop. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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lilt
a rhythmical swing, flow, or cadence. “Lilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lilt. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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bespectacled
Wearing spectacles (eyeglasses). “Bespectacled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bespectacled. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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disabuse
to free from error, misconception, or fallacy. “Disabuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disabuse. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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gnawing
to affect like gnawing. “Gnaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnaw. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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paeans
a joyous song or hymn of praise, tribute, thanksgiving, or triumph. “Paean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paean. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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thrives
to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances —often used with on. “Thrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrive. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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Harlem
Harlem, district of New York City, U.S., occupying a large part of northern Manhattan. https://www.britannica.com/place/Harlem-New-York
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“Negritude.”
a consciousness of and pride in the cultural and physical aspects of African heritage. “Negritude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/negritude. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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“the Black Aesthetic”
According to the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, the "Black Aesthetic", or "Black Arts Movement", was "a Black nationalism movement that focused on music, literature, drama, and the visual arts made up of Black artists and intellectuals. This was the cultural section of the Black Power movement, in that its participants shared many of the ideologies of Black self-determination, political beliefs, and African American culture". https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/black-power/arts
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call slips
a form filled out by a library patron for a desired item (such as a book or newspaper). “Call slip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/call%20slip. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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quipped
(quip, noun) a clever usually taunting remark : GIBE. “Quip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quip. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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bemused
marked by confusion or bewilderment : DAZED. “Bemused.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bemused. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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one-drop rule
The "one-drop rule" is a historical and social concept that was used in the United States to define racial identity and classify individuals as either "white" or "black" based on the presence of any African ancestry, regardless of the individual's physical appearance (hence just "one drop" of "black blood " was needed). For more information: https://www.amacad.org/publication/one-drop-one-hate
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Muhammad Ali
He is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Muhammad-Ali-boxer
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Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was an African American social reformer and abolitionist who played a pivotal role in the abolition of slavery in the United States during the 19th century. He was born into slavery but escaped to freedom and became one of the most prominent and influential African American leaders of his time. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frederick-Douglass
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o bald-headed Qs in purple windbreakers and tan Timbs
As i had troubles understating this description here's the explanation of a user on reddit that surely knows more about African culture: A Q (sometimes spelled Que) is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. Omega Psi Phi was the first black fraternity to be formed at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) and is a member of the "Divine 9", a group of historically black fraternities and sororities. Their colors are purple and gold, hence the purple windbreakers. https://www.reddit.com/r/grammar/comments/j8gyvw/on_a_book_of_tanehisi_coates/
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There were the high-yellow progeny of AME preachers debating the clerics of Ausar-Set. There were California girls turned Muslim, born anew, in hijab and long skirt. There were Ponzi schemers and Christian cultists, Tabernacle fanatics and mathematical geniuses. It was like listening to a hundred different renditions of “Redemption Song,” each in a different color and key.
A description of the people of The Yard.
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scions
DESCENDANT, CHILD especially : a descendant of a wealthy, aristocratic, or influential family. “Scion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scion. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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Jim Crow days
The term "Jim Crow" refers to a system of racial segregation and discrimination that existed in the Southern United States, primarily from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. https://www.britannica.com/event/Jim-Crow-law
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Phi Beta Kappa.
a person winning high scholastic distinction in an American college or university and being elected to membership in a national honor society founded in 1776. “Phi Beta Kappa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Phi%20Beta%20Kappa. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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magna cum laude
with great distinction. “Magna cum laude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magna%20cum%20laude. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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LSAT
Law School Admission Test. “LSAT.” Merriam-Webster.com Legal Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/legal/LSAT. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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My only Mecca was, is, and shall always be Howard University.
Of course, Coates is not talking about religion here. Instead, he is referring to "a place regarded as a center for a specified group, activity, or interest" (“Mecca.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mecca. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.). Howard, according to Coates, symbolizes Mecca. HE sees it as a place of pilgrimage for all black people where they can find acceptance and be themselves. This concept is very important, as it is the key to understand the whole following passage. To Coates, Howard is not merely a place of education, rather a safe haven for the Black community.
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Million Man March.
It was an event that took place in Washington D.C., on October 16, 1995. The event was organized by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and other leaders and sought to address various social and economic issues affecting the African American community in the United States. https://www.britannica.com/event/Million-Man-March
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COINTELPRO
COINTELPRO, an abbreviation for "Counter Intelligence Program," was a series of secret and often illegal projects conducted by the FBI from 1956 to 1971. The program was aimed at surveilling and disrupting domestic political organizations and activists deemed to be subversive or radical. https://www.britannica.com/topic/COINTELPRO
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purview
the range or limit of authority, competence, responsibility, concern, or intention. “Purview.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purview. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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chafed
to feel irritation, discontent, or impatience : FRET. “Chafe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chafe. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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natural as Prometheus hating the birds.
Prometheus, in Greek mythology is a Titan, a divine being of great strength and intelligence. He is best known for his role in creating humanity and for his defiance of Zeus, the king of the gods. He not only created humans out of clay, be he also granted them knowledge, by stealing fire from Gods. Coates affirms that he hated the birds, and this is because not only because they had gifts from the gods that men did not, but also because his punishment for defying Gods was given by a eagle that would devour his ever regenerating flesh on a daily basis. https://www.greekmythology.com/Titans/Prometheus/prometheus.html
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Walkman
Trademark used for a small portable audio player listened to by means of headphones or earphones. “Walkman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Walkman. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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Seeds planted in the 1960s, forgotten by so many, sprung up from the ground and bore fruit. Malcolm X, who’d been dead for twenty-five years, exploded out of the small gatherings of his surviving apostles and returned to the world
Malcolm X was a prominent African American Muslim minister and civil rights activist. He was born on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska, and he became a leading figure in the struggle for the rights and empowerment of African Americans. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Malcolm-X
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Black History Month
Is an annual observance dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the history of African Americans. It takes place every February and it is marked by various events and educational initiatives. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-History-Month
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flagrantly
conspicuously offensive; especially : so obviously inconsistent with what is right or proper as to appear to be a flouting of law or morality. “Flagrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flagrant. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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undergirded
to form the basis or foundation of : STRENGTHEN, SUPPORT. “Undergird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undergird. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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hall pass
a card that shows that a student has permission to be out of class during class time. “Hall pass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hall%20pass. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023. In this context is refers to permission to do whatever you like or to have an easy time.
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Black Panther Party.
The Black Panther Party was a revolutionary socialist organization founded in October 1966 in Oakland, California, by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. The party was active in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s, and it played a significant role in the civil rights and Black Power movements. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Panther-Party
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Africana
materials (such as books, documents, or artifacts) relating to African history and culture. “Africana.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Africana. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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elicited
to call forth or draw out (something, such as information or a response). “Elicit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elicit. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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curb
to check or control with or as if with a curb. “Curb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curb. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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We would not kneel before their God. And so I had no sense that any just God was on my side. “The meek shall inherit the earth” meant nothing to me. The meek were battered in West Baltimore, stomped out at Walbrook Junction, bashed up on Park Heights, and raped in the showers of the city jail. My understanding of the universe was physical, and its moral arc bent toward chaos then concluded in a box.
"Two-thirds of Black Americans are Protestant, like about four-in-ten Americans overall. The relationship between Black Americans and Protestantism is unusual due to the history of slavery and segregation, which spawned the creation of several Black-led denominations that allowed Black Americans to worship freely. Mostly founded prior to 1900, these historically Black Protestant denominations also supported colleges and helped Black communities in other ways. At the same time, Protestantism alone does not define the Black religious experience in the United States. Before enslaved people in America began converting to Protestantism in sizable numbers during the 1700s, they commonly followed traditional West African religions or Islam. Catholicism, too, has long had a presence among Black Americans, including in Maryland, Kentucky and Louisiana during the slavery era. And in the early 1900s, Islam began attracting thousands of Black Americans with the message that Christianity, like America writ large, had failed to offer them equality. to further delve into the the topic here's the source: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/02/16/a-brief-overview-of-black-religious-history-in-the-u-s/
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Fuck tha Police,”
"Fuck tha Police" is a rap song by the group N.W.A (Niggaz Wit Attitudes), released in 1988. The song is known for its bold and explicit lyrics that criticize and denounce police brutality and racial profiling, particularly against African Americans. You can read more here: https://genius.com/Nwa-fuck-tha-police-lyrics
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savvy
having or showing perception, comprehension, or shrewdness especially in practical matters. “Savvy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/savvy. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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Ecstasy, coke, you say it’s love, it is poison Schools where I learn they should be burned, it is poison
It comes from "What Goes Around" in the album Stillmatic by Nas. according to Genius: Ecstasy and cocaine are sometimes called love-drugs because of the effect they have on an intoxicated person – they make you laugh and experience emotional high that can be mistaken with love, infatuation etc. In fact, that’s just temporary feelings triggered by the chemicals. Once the drug wears off it all comes back to normal. Or worse – you might feel depressed because you miss the sort of happiness you experience after taking coke or ecstasy, and the only way to feel that is to take another pill of that poison. He pairs those thoughts with school. Nas, in a later album, actually wishes he didn't dropout of high school. You can read more here: https://genius.com/Nas-what-goes-around-lyrics
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compliance
the act or process of complying to a desire, demand, proposal, or regimen or to coercion. “Compliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compliance. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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posse
a large group often with a common interest. “Posse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/posse. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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lambskin
a lamb's skin or a small fine-grade sheepskin or the leather made from either specifically : such a skin dressed with the wool on and used especially for winter clothing. “Lambskin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lambskin. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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plunder
to take by force or wrongfully : STEAL, LOOT. “Plunder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plunder. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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billow up
a rolling mass (as of flame or smoke) that resembles a high wave. “Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/billow. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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PTA mothers
Abbreviation for 'parent-teacher association'. “Pta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pta. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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scowling
to exhibit a threatening aspect. “Scowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scowl. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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scourge
WHIP; especially : one used to inflict pain or punishment. “Scourge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scourge. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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sass
impudent speech : BACK TALK. “Sass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sass. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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GED
Abbreviation of: general equivalency diploma, a diploma used for educational testing services designed to provide a high school equivalency credential. “GED.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/GED. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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bylaws
a rule adopted by an organization chiefly for the government of its members and the regulation of its affairs. “Bylaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bylaw. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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adamantly
in an adamant manner : with great insistence or determination. “Adamantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adamantly. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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girded
to prepare (oneself) for action. “Gird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gird. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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indictment
a formal written statement framed by a prosecuting authority and found by a jury (such as a grand jury) charging a person with an offense. “Indictment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indictment. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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specious
having a false look of truth or genuineness. “Specious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/specious. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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reveling
to take intense pleasure or satisfaction. “Revel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revel. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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white privilege
the set of social and economic advantages that white people have by virtue of their race (see RACE entry 1 sense 1a) in a culture characterized by racial inequality. “White privilege.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white%20privilege. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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friskings
to search (a person) for something (such as a concealed weapon) by running the hand rapidly over the clothing and through the pockets. “Frisk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frisk. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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at face value
as true or genuine without being questioned or doubted. “At face value.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20face%20value. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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Trail of Tears
several routes over which thousands of Cherokee and other Indian peoples were forced to march and along which many died during the late 1830s to be resettled west of the Mississippi River largely in what is now Oklahoma. “Trail of Tears.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Trail%20of%20Tears. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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Middle Passage
the forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. “Middle Passage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Middle%20Passage. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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race
It is important to note that the concept of race, according to modern science, is merely a social construct. When the author talks about race, he means a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. Here's a more detailed definition of the term: Sense 1a of this entry describes the word race as it is most frequently used: to refer to the various groups that humans are often divided into based on physical traits, these traits being regarded as common among people of a shared ancestry. This use of race dates to the late 18th century, and was for many years applied in scientific fields such as physical anthropology, with race differentiation being based on such qualities as skin color, hair form, head shape, and particular sets of cranial dimensions. Advances in the field of genetics in the late 20th century determined no biological basis for races in this sense of the word, as all humans alive today share 99.99% of their genetic material. For this reason, the concept of distinct human races today has little scientific standing, and is instead understood as primarily a sociological designation, identifying a group sharing some outward physical characteristics and some commonalities of culture and history. “Race.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/race. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.
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“that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth,
A quote by U.S. president Abraham Lincoln. It was delivered during the American Civil War and goes by the name of "Gettysburg Address"
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betweentheworldandme1.wordpress.com betweentheworldandme1.wordpress.com
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RICHARD WRIGHT
An American author who mainly wrote about racial themes. Coates names his book after his poem "Between The World And Me", which is about a Black man stumbling upon a lynching taking place and becoming incapacitated with fear, thus creating a barrier between him and the world. To know more about Richard Wright: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/richard-wright
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