Power and Privilege: How and Why Is a Social Group Represented in a Particular Way?

Outline

Prescribed Question:

Power and Privilege: How and why is a social group represented in a particular way?

Title of text for analysis:

Coates, Ta Nehisi. "Letter to My Son." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 4 July 2015. Web. 14 Nov. 2016. <http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/07/tanehisi-coates-between-the-world-and-me/397619/>.

Task is related to course section:

Part 1: Language in cultural context

Task Focus:

In recent years, the subject of the societal treatment of African-Americans has become extremely controversial. With infamous cases of police brutality and outside profiling such as stop-and-frisk, many African-Americans felt oppressed in America. Ta-Nehisi Coates feels very strongly on the topic of black oppression, blaming the ignorance of white people for this social inequality. In an excerpt from his book Between the World and Me, Coates deliberately portrays the white, middle class adults of America as ignorant; he feels their lack of understanding has led to this state of oppression. Through this portrayal, Coates is attempting to bring about societal equality, removing the system of “white privilege” and trying to redistribute said privilege so that all people are treated equally.

Within this essay, the topics of the exclusivity of the American Dream and the media’s ignorance to the feelings and rationale of African-Americans who feel oppressed are thoroughly addressed. By analyzing Coates’ language in this specific excerpt and commenting on how the American Dream is largely reserved for White America, it becomes evident that white, middle class Americans often are ignorant towards African-Americans, which begs a need for social change to bring about racial equality. Additionally, analysis of Coates’ language reveals the ignorance of the media and its lack of sympathy for African-Americans. This ignorance and lack of understanding again suggests that there exists a significant gap in social equality, which Coates’ work tends to shed light on, and therefore end.

From this essay, it should be understood that there is a large degree of social inequality on a racial scale that does exist in America. Coates’ depicts it literarily yet bluntly effective, which further emphasizes the obvious social inequality that plagues America. And by Coates’ depiction of white, middle class Americans, it is to be understood that he is taking a stance and is doing his best effort to mitigate this inequality in the nation. He is a believer that all people are truly created equally, and that every American deserves to be treated the same way, free of any bias imposed on he or she based on race.

Peter McEntee

WORD COUNT- 1,000

In recent years, racial discrimination of African-Americans has reached the forefront of societal controversies. Many African-Americans feel they are being unfairly targeted by white Americans, most notably regarding police treatment. An astounding number of African-Americans have been tragic victims of murder at the hands of officers, many of whom are white. Ta-Nehisi Coates, author of the moving book Between the World and Me, is keenly aware of this apparent targeting in excerpts from his work. As a black man, he is quite saddened by the moral injustices affecting his race, but he has come to expect these. Through his decades of life and maturation as a father, he has seen white officers and everyday white citizens act with blatant ignorance, which he has sadly grown accustomed to during his life. Within Coates’ text itself, he is very critical of the white, middle class American adult demographic. He portrays this social group as ignorant and unaware of other non-white social groups in America. Coates gets into exquisite, poetic detail to demonstrate this present ignorance. By doing this he is shedding light on an important belief: white people in America have an unfair, racially-biased privilege in the nation. Coates is specifically portraying the white, middle class American adults as ignorant and unaware to offer commentary on White America in its entirety, suggesting it has unfair societal advantages that are based on unethical principles of discrimination, and this portrayal ultimately is used to push towards societal equality.

In Between the World and Me, Coates is very critical of the American Dream; he views it as something that is exclusively for white, middle class adult demographic. He describes the American Dream in great detail, saying, “It is Memorial Day Cookouts, block associations, and driveways,” (Coates). This metaphor employed by Coates is quite deliberate in its targeting of white, middle class adults. Memorial Day is dedicated to honoring soldiers, many of whom fit this demographic. Additionally, Coates is subtly criticizing the military, as for years African-Americans were forbade from fighting in the military. This is done to show the hypocrisy of White Americans, who Coates believes are ignorant to the history of America and historical oppression of minorities. Coates further comments on the exclusivity of the American Dream, writing, “it is perfect houses with nice lawns,” (Coates). This metaphoric imagery is used to show the peaceful live white middle class Americans enjoy. Coates is implying that these people live a life sheltered, privileged life, free from the horrific realities of the street,