![]() ![]() ![]() Like the actual Mecca-the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and holiest city in Islam-Howard becomes a source of strength and guidance for Coates throughout his life. In one of the final anecdotes, Coates describes the sense of joy and “black power” he experiences at Homecoming. Although he never ends up graduating from Howard, the legacy of The Mecca stays with him throughout the book. It is this social community that truly rouses and inspires Coates. ![]() When referring to Howard as “The Mecca,” however, Coates draws a distinction between the university as an academic institution and as a vibrant community made up of young black people from every background, social class, and cultural orientation. ![]() In this long letter, Coates relates his personal experiences as a black. Coates’ father Paul was a research librarian at Howard, and Coates attends along with Kenyatta, Prince Jones, and many of Samori’s aunts and uncles. Between the World and Me takes the form of a book-length letter from the author, Ta-Nehisi Coates, to his son, Samori. Coates tells Samori that “my only Mecca was, is, and shall always be Howard University.” Founded in 1867 as a seminary for training African-American clergymen, Howard is one of the most illustrious historically black universities in the country its alumni include Stokely Carmichael, Thurgood Marshall, and Toni Morrison. ![]()
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