12 books to help you fight the system

Ta-Nehisi Coates (Image Credit: Andre Chung/for The Washington Post)

9. Between the World and Me

Surely, you’ve heard of this book. It was published in July 2015 and entered the literary world like a barreling freight train. Between the World and Me is an unflinching and lyrical look at the current state of black America, and of the “racist violence that has been woven into American culture” since its inception. It will leave you breathless.

It’s been variously described as “extraordinary”, “unrelentingly severe”, and “essential, like water or air” (from A.O. Scott of The New York Times). Toni Morrison has said that author Ta-Nehisi Coates has taken on the mantle of James Baldwin, who has now been gone for nearly 30 years. In fact, Between the World and Me takes its cues from Baldwin’s 1963 work, The Fire Next Time. However, unlike Baldwin, Coates argues that white supremacy is an overarching, indestructible presence in the world that black Americans will always be forced to fight.

Between the World and Me was written as a letter to Coate’s son about the realities of living as a black person in modern America. The fifteen-year-old boy is trying to understand the inherently unjust world that he will inherit, one that automatically marks him as a dangerous figure.

Though Coates’ book has been almost universally praised, some critics have found fault with the apparent despair in his premise. He writes that “We are captured, brother, surrounded by the majoritarian bandits of America. And this has happened here, in our only home, and the terrible truth is that we cannot will ourselves to an escape on our own.” Still, he urges his son to struggle for wisdom. Moreover, he does not offer easy answers. While you may or may not agree with the spirit of Between the World and Me or its predecessor, The Fire Next Time, they are both important works that should be required reading.