Between the World and Me Lesson Plan

After initially being in awe of everything at college, Coates reflects on his thought transformation, saying: "I was only beginning to learn to be wary of my own humanity, of my own hurt and anger--I didn't yet realize that the boot on our neck is just as likely to make you delusional as it is to ennoble." What is the significance of Coates's realization in this section?

When he first gets to Howard, Coates is in awe of the whole culture there and the breadth of black life and experience he has the opportunity to witness. Coates begins to understand that "the Dream" that he was fighting so hard against "thrives on generalizations, on limiting the number of possible...