With Halloween around the corner there are all sorts of costumes leering in the forefront. In thinking of Halloween, Ta-Nehisi Coates came to mind rather quickly due to his Black Panther and Captain America series authorship for Marvel comics, published in this decade. It’s rather intriguing that Mr. Coates, who is well known for his vocalization of the black experience in America under the tutelage of white supremacy, is giving voice to Captain America. I’m a fan of Marvel characters on the screen but have not found interest in going through the actual comic books, endless in number. I’m present to the looooooong history of a white superhero narrative in the imaginations of American children due to what was literally being imposed in media, while aspects of being othered threaded the mutant packed imagination of Stan Lee (RIP), connecting individuals in non traditional ways. It looks as though things are diversifying…… but are they really?! Valkyrie may be the LGBT premiere for Marvel, you can now buy Barbie in a wheelchair, and there’s an increase in “non normative identities” in media whatever that means. I’m not convinced that things are enhancing for the marginalized in ways that truly equate to equity. Look at me being all skeptical… Ta-Nehisi’s demeanor rubbed off on me!
I climbed my way into Between the World And Me, an intimate letter from father to [teenage] son published for others to peer into. Initially I found Ta-Nehisi to be very cynical. And angry. The text was emotionally laden with rage and had notable historical references to critical race theory. He knows what he’s talking about as a journalist, researcher and writer; the 3 don’t always necessarily interact at once, so it was pleasing to flow through the pages being engaged both mentally and emotionally. I found his craftsmanship and vulnerability encouraging. I kept reading. He spoke of being an atheist and I was present to fine tuning how my eyes were making meaning of his metaphors and stance towards an iconoclast position. It became easier to understand him symbolically pertaining to his message once I considered the intersections of his various identities. Religion and spirituality, or lack of, gets left out of the conversation too often pertaining to the lens in which a person views the world and the shaping of the psyche. I will perhaps get further into my views on religion and spirituality in another text.
I did not necessarily relate to Ta-Nehisi’s various anecdotes but I was present to aspects of dissociating while reading, in particular during his references to the violence and terror impinged upon the black body and his direct interrogation of what being “white” is in America. It was deep and real in a way that at times literally required me to dissociate in order to not be in an overwhelming state of rage with no release. The continuous onslaught of violence against the black body is real. He spoke of it, named it and interrogated what “black'“ is in America all at once. There was an emphasis on the police. I’d like to add, I have 2-3 friends who are police officers. In this moment I’m associating to non-black individuals who say “but I have 2-3 black friends” lol as if that grants a person a pass pertaining to what they are about to say or just finished saying. I shall continue….. I am in no way anti-cop but I must say, I don’t necessarily feel safer when they are around. I’m a self identified black queer woman, with lengthy locs dangling from my head and alpha/omega energy seeping through my pores. Things have a beginning….in 2003, a week before going away to college, my brother and I stepped out of our front door and found ourselves immediately in front of a young white police officer with his gun pointed at us. The officer, in his own state of shock and incompetence pulled the trigger, which made a swift click sound, as we stood in place with our hands up in mutually shared terror. After screaming at us not to move and to get on the floor, gun still pointed, his partner screamed over to him. His radio was buzzing from his hip. I stared at him, frozen at the realization that he had just attempted to shoot one of us, I was not getting on the floor. If he had been successful my dead body would have been on the floor. I stared. The officer turned to meet his partner, and then strolled 2 houses down. Wrong place at the wrong time! My brother and I drove in silence the hour and a half ride to our grandmothers house. I found solace in sublimation. A year later my brother texted me while watching Crash, told me to go see it because it reminded him of what he termed “my death”. I understand why Ta-Nehisi wrote Between the World and Me and I’m grateful that it’s accessible to the masses.
I have had this reoccurring experience when I truly enjoy pieces of literature & written articles, then meet the writer in person that the hype is short lived lol. I prefer the fantasy over the human condition self imposed on the meet and greet. Yet, when I meet the person then read their work, what a different experience! There’s room for more nuance, tenderness and subjectivity….. perhaps because of the human condition that I just mentioned. Bare with my contradiction. I have heard Mr. Coates speak and don’t think I’ll do that again, it was however convincing enough for me to purchase Between the World and Me. I will continue reading his work, perhaps he will be my intro to the world of comic books. My mind skates to Erykah Badu’s words of wisdom to all: “now keep in mind that I’m an artist and I’m sensitive about my shit”. I keep that in mind when I go to readings, meet and greet’s and talks by authors nowadays. They’re people with real people problems and real people feelings. The appreciation of the work is hopefully expressed here.
I leave off with 2 paintings by the forever talented Nina Chanel Abney, expressive of the literature discussed here:
