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Through a letter to his teenage son, Samori, Coates explains what it means to be a Black person in America. The author speaks about the theme of the back body which has always been prone to destruction in American history. His message is emphasized in contemporary events concerning the killings of young innocent black people in America. The author advocates change and action against the perpetrators of racially instigated killings in the society (Coates, 2015). Coates’ message is similar to Gandhi’s paradox which states that nothing one does as, an individual, matters but it is vitally important for one to do something. In the book, Coates takes personal responsibility to inform his son about the life of a black person in America. He, however, laments that black parents in America have always advised their sons and daughters be ‘twice as good,' although this often ends with ‘guns to their heads' (Coates, 2015). Gandhi's paradox fits into the individual action to change the problem of racism in America which has, in most cases, yielded little fruits but the advocacy for a change at an individual level is the beginning of the change to the entire society. Gandhi’s paradox can be applied in Coates’ writing to invite people of all races in the struggle against racism. In the works, Coates argues that race is the father of racism but not the son. He condemns the American Society for inheriting the evil of racism and that unless the perception is cleared from people’s brain, the problem will persist in the society (Coates, 2015). In his theme of how the black body is privy to destruction in America, the struggle against racism has always been thought to be a
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