1. Coates identifies race in the United States as a social construct that has its origins in a history of violence and oppression. Why do you think this conception of race is not universally accepted? Who defines race in America? How do racial boundaries and categories benefit some people and harm others? Does race play a role in determining who has political power, economic privilege, and social benefits? Have social influences such as race, power, and privilege played a role in shaping your own personal identity?
2. Coates writes, “Black people love their children with a kind of obsession. 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.” How does Coates’s description of parental discipline within the black community compare to your own philosophy regarding behavior, discipline, and punishment? What do you think of the practice of “violence administered in fear and love”? How is this form of discipline influenced by black parents’ perceived lack of control over their children, and inability to protect them?
3. How does Coates describe black religious communities? What is his relationship with
Christianity and the black church? What are some ways in which religious communities can empower or hinder their members? Why does Coates challenge those religious beliefs that focus solely on hope and optimism?
