Between the World and Me with Benton Greene

Overview

Between the World and Me moves from Baltimore’s West Side to Howard University in Washington, D.C., to New York City and to Paris, France addressing along the way what it means to inhabit an African American body in America. Structured in the form of a letter to his teenage son, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ 2015 Award-winning book is a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about race and American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son.

Download the Between the World and Me Resource Guide

Race, the Child of Racism

This video introduces the lesson in the Resource Guide entitled, “Race, the Child of Racism” and the essential question, “Why does Coates think racism created race?”

The Dream

This video introduces the lesson in the Resource Guide entitled, “The Dream” and the essential questions: Why does Ta-Nehisi Coates believe that the “American Dream” is harmful to Black people?; and Why does Coates use the phrase “people who believe they are white”?

The Body

This video introduces the lesson in the Resource Guide entitled, “The Body”. It explores why Coates chose to structure Between the World and Me as a letter to his son and his use of the term, “the black body”.