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mari1532 's review for:

The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
5.0
emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced
I was lucky enough to read a hardback copy of this through my library. This is the first of Coates' books that I have read and it is a book that is going to stay with me for a very long time. Part reflective, part socio-political commentary, and part historical analysis, this book left me awash with many thoughts and emotions. Coates argues that the goal of authors, and art more generally, is to have a haunting impact on the viewer and he definitely accomplished that goal with this work. 

Two lines in particular that have stuck with me:

  • "race is a species of power and nothing else"

  • "I want to tell you your oppression will not save you, that being a victim will not enlighten you, that it can just as easily deceive you." 

This book is an absolute must-read. It highlights the importance of challenging what you think you know, that simply because your culture describes a place, event, etcetera in a particular way does not make it fact. However, Coates also reminds us that the facts and the story are important pieces of the same puzzle.  
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