Jordan McCaskill

On Page 7, Coates says, race is the child of racism,

not the father. This was quite powerful and something that
I did not think of. Coates believes that racism is from people.
There were differences in this world, and we chose to qualify
and distinguish them. When talking about race, we are not
talking about the actual qualities, but how we have chosen
to define them. It wasnt until racism started to exist did
humans have a need to define and distinguish our
differences. Coates uses this to explain to his son how
racism came about. He believes it was learned from people
who believe they were white, and had been treated poorly in
the past (e.g Catholic, Jewish, Irish, and Welsh).
This entire novel is written as a letter to his son, which
makes it incredibly impactful. First, it makes it more
personal for the reader. It doesnt feel like a lecture and it is
not a bore to read. However, it feels as though he cares, and
not only about his sons wellbeing, but the wellbeing of all
who read. This letter is not just for black people to
experience, but this is also a great novel for white people to
read in order to get a point of view that they may have yet
to witness. It is very difficult having a black child and
having to explain to them how they must protect themselves
in a country in which their bodies are not protected
and/respected. Coates did this and beyond in this novel.
He said things to his son that might have otherwise been

difficult or impossible to say out loud. The troubling fact is

that this is not a unique story and could be given to many
children, teens, and young adults across the country.