General thoughts: This is the first non-fiction book we have read as a group, and I think it is the perfect selection for this experience. Written in the form of a letter, Coates goes back through is personal history explaining to his son what his experience of being black in America is like. The narrative moves both chronologically and topically as Coates reveals his coming to consciousness in a racist country. Our discussion will explore Coates’ concerns for his son as well as the destructive forces of racism in America.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Coates writes about “the Body” and “the Dream.” What is the author saying about the dangers of being black in our country? How is violence enacted upon the black body in a way that is not enacted upon whites? And, what is “the Dream,” and what prevents Coates’ and others like him from realizing it?
2. Prince Jones figures largely in the novel. Coates writes, “Prince Jones was the superlative of all my fears” (page 80). What does the description of Prince Jones and Coates’ visit with his mother (page 135-152) add to the readers’ understanding of black America? Consider socioeconomic status and education as you form your response.
3. Fear is a current that runs through the letter. In the beginning of the book, Coates writes: “To be black in the Baltimore of my youth was to be naked before the elements of the world, before all the guns, fists, knives, crack, rape, and disease. The nakedness is not an error, nor pathology. The nakedness is the correct and intended result of policy, the predictable upshot of people forced for centuries to live under fear.” (page 17) Does Coates believe that it is possible to leave freely in this world dominated by fear?
4. How does Coates’ experience in Paris alter his perceptions of race? What does he mean when he writes, “In America, I was part of an equation–even if it wasn’t a part I relished.” (page 124) In what way does his time abroad deepen his understanding of this equation?
5. Find one specific example in the book that made an impression on Coates and on you. You might consider his thoughts on education (school, the Mecca), injustice, Malcolm X, poetry, money, time, or evil. Be prepared to discuss your selection with specific pages in the text as support.