Blog #3

Throughout this whole book there has been an overarching theme for Coates on what it truly means to wear the color black on your skin. I saw this theme especially in this part of his story. There was one quote that stuck out to me the most within this section. Coates writes, "perhaps being named 'black' was just someone's name for being at the bottom..." The fact he feels this way or anybody feels this way about their skin color makes me so sad. It is hard for me to empathize with these people because I have never had any other color of skin besides white. 

Why did God give me the opportunities I have over someone else? Why was the way I lived my normal? I tend to ask those question a lot as I read through this book. Toward the middle of this book Coates also starts asking those questions of, "why me?" It is easy for me as a Christian to simply say, "It's all part of God's plan." I've had it easy. As I start to hear more and more and understand what it might be like to live their lives, I don't blame them for being angry. If I was them, I can't imagine wanting to hear that God put me where he did on purpose. 

Coates writes to his son and tells it like it is. He is aware and doesn't try to sugar coat how his life will look differently. It makes me sick to think that he has to tell his son, "There is no promise that is unbreakable." Coates explains to his son that the law and people will try to persuade him otherwise, but because his skin color isn't be white, things will be different.