North Lawndale
The focus on the Chicago neighborhood of North Lawndale works as a "portrait" of how redlining has affected African-American communities.
(Fear of) African-American "Invasion"
The persistent fear in many white people's minds in the mid 20th century was that Black people would invade and overtake their neighborhoods, leading to coalitions that were forged on "keeping up the neighborhood".
America: Ideal vs. Reality
Throughout the piece, Coates juxtaposes the image of an ideal America—the one founded by the heroic Washington and Jefferson, featuring iconic tableaus such as Washington crossing the icy Delaware River—against the ugly realities of slavery and racism. Coates' point is that we cannot take one without taking the other.
