Between the World and Me

After our discussions of Between the World and Me in class on Wednesday and Friday, I’ve been thinking alot about my own interactions with people and putting it in the context of race and how I haven’t really had the same experiences as the ones mentioned in the book, especially with police. When Professor Stockman shared his anecdote about carrying around a machete in Philadelphia only to be let off with a warning, it reminded me of the very few times I’ve really gotten involved with the police. I’ve only gotten pulled over twice, once for not having my headlights on at around 4:30 in the afternoon on a sunny day (as you can probably tell I’m was a bit frustrated about that one still), and another for an officer thinking that I ran a red light, when in reality it was yellow. Both occasions I was let off with a warning, but looking back at those experiences it really made me think about the alternative situations I could have been in if I wasn’t white. Of course, neither situation was as devastating as when Prince Jones got shot and killed by a police officer in the book, but it still begs the question of how differently I could have been treated. If I had darker skin, maybe I would have gotten a ticket instead of a warning, or maybe the officers would have been significantly more strict and assertive in their gestures and tone of voice than the generally calm manner they presented in front of me. Even that subtle difference, or rather the possibility of that difference, is something that’s fundamentally wrong with this country and what Coates spent a large amount of time discussing in his book. Another aspect of the book that still surprises me is that Coates had to dedicate “a third of his mind” to making sure he got to school safe, when throughout my own life that has very rarely, if at all, been a concern for me. For most of elementary and middle school, I walked to school every day without much concern besides getting there on time. I never had to worry about avoiding certain areas or taking back roots purely to keep myself from getting hurt. I just walked a few blocks and I was there, ready to go about the rest of my day. Now that I’m older and I’ve read Coates’ book, that experience is something that I should be significantly more grateful for, and it’s an experience that isn’t shared among every American student trying to get to class today. Similar to the police inequality example, it’s depressing to see how drastically different experiences people of different races can have. Even if factors beyond race make an impact in these situations, it’s important to acknowledge how much of American history has been filled with racist actions and discrimination that continues to influence behaviors today.