The Themes Relevant to School Psychology in Between The World and Me

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me is an epistolary novel, written to Coates’ son, Samori, which addresses institutional racial discrimination, growing up as a black boy, black parenting, the importance of community, and police brutality, as well as the intersections of these themes. Sparked by a moment when the justice system failed to avenge Michael Brown’s death, when Samori had to excuse himself to his room so he could cry about it, this novel is equal parts memoir and survival guide for being a young black man in this country. Written in moving, lyrical prose, without shying away from harsh truths, it is no wonder Coates made the decision to share this with the world, rather than just his son. Although the book was written for a young black male audience, Coates’ words will resonate with readers of all ages, genders, and ethnicities. As with other professions, the themes contained within this book hold immense potential to inform school psychologists and their field.

The first and foremost theme which is directly relevant to school psychology practice is the effect of racial discrimination on black boyhood. There are innumerable studies finding that racial discrimination has a negative effect on mental health, as well as the socio-emotional development of black youth. In fact, English et al. (2013) found that experiences of racial discrimination were “chronic and detrimental across the life span for African Americans”. This is an evident, repeated theme in Coates’ work; at the end of chapter one, Coates (2015) tells his son that he must wake up every morning knowing that there is no surety he will wake up again, then presents this notion not as “despair,” but as universal fact. Whether this is actually true universal fact, the fact that this is how Coates feels and how he is trying to convince his son to feel speaks volumes. It is plain that Coates is working through his own insecurities — about being a father, and about growing up black — throughout the book. However, his words to his son there, as well as his shared experiences of his own childhood, demonstrate a lasting effect of anxiety and depression created by being a black boy (and later, man) experiencing racial discrimination in this country. The effect is not just depressive, however; Saleem and Lambert (2015) discuss how the effects of racial discrimination also manifest as anger, mistrust, and low self-esteem. This is important for school psychologists to learn from and understand, as these are all factors that are likely affecting the black youth walking into their offices; understanding where this is coming from could aid in treating these youth compassionately and helping them in a culturally competent manner.

Feeding into this is a second theme, community and black parenting. Saleem and Lambert (2015) studied the importance of racial socialization and cultivating racial pride, finding that these institutions ward off symptoms of anger and depression in this group (p. 1390). They also concluded that when a youth is lacking in these departments, they internalize their experiences of racial discrimination, believing personal flaws to be at the root of the problem, rather than systemic racism. Related to this is the very act of Coates’ creation of this book: after observing his son’s reaction to an ultimate act of systemic racial discrimination, he created this book to educate him on the ways their race plays into this system. A big part of this was the contrast between his experiences of his parents policing his black body with his experiences at his “Mecca,” Howard University. While his (Coates, 2015) parents beat him for running off or exclaimed it was better for them to beat him than for the police to, resulting in fear and anxiety about his existence, his Mecca was a concentration of “the dark energy of all African peoples”, the “crossroads of the black diaspora”, the place where he discovered his community and their history, where he embraced his self-worth and his place in the world. As an adult looking back on his experiences as a child, Coates (2015) concludes that his parents beating him was an act of love, meant to steer him to safety, yet there is little evidence that these experiences could be likened to racial socialization or cultivating racial pride. This is where the theme ties into school psychology: Saleem and Lambert (2015) argued that “parents and other African American youth must learn age appropriate ways” to discuss racial discrimination both systemic and personal, as well as use this discussion as an opening into how it affects mental health and stress. They (Saleem & Lambert, 2015) continue this notion by pointing out that professionals working with black children and their families need to “empower” them, assisting them in finding resources for discussing and learning more about racial discrimnation, as well as training them in socializing their children constructively and attentively. Although the book gets dark at times, it is an excellent example of Coates doing just that for his son; perhaps this book is a good starting point for families to begin discussing racial discrimination and related issues with their youth.

A third theme which should inform the practice of school psychology is the effect of experiences of violence on black youth. While Coates does not mention any incidents of Samori being victimized by racial violence, secondhand experiences of violence are easier to come by in the modern age due to social media and the internet. Gaylord-Harden et al. (2011) found that as violence increased in an adolescent’s life, so did depressive symptoms, low self-esteem, vulnerability, and suppression of these effects increased. Likewise, anxiety also increased with more exposure to violence, which Gaylord-Harden et al. (2011) warned could lead to problems with concentration and over-worrying. While there are no studies presently published on the effect experiencing secondhand violence through social media has on black youth, it is unlikely that the effect would be entirely the opposite of that studied by Gaylord-Harden et al. (2011). The very prompt of this book attests to this theme; when Coates (2015) observed his son’s distress over the injustice of Michael Brown’s death, not only was he witnessing the toll police violence takes — and will continue to take — on his child, he is also re-experiencing the trauma of losing a college friend to the same violent tradition. Coates’ experience, while only described secondhand, was lasting enough that he still thought about it when thinking about his son’s experience; Samori’s experience, of this violence against another black boy he is not described as knowing, was traumatic enough already that he had to physically remove himself from the space to cry. This is an experience repeated through generations, and with the current state of the country, an experience many of the black youth (and youth of color who are not black) school psychologists meet will likely share; and in some cases, the youth will also have known, or been related to, the victim. It is important to understand not only the history of this experience, but its effects — especially at a time in this country where the danger is just as present as ever.

With shared experiences integral to the current state of this country, and written to lyrically, it’s no wonder Coates’ novel is as popular as it is. The points Coates makes on institutional racism and growing up black offers powerful insight into the state of mental health for black youth. His discussions on community and the evolution of black parenting are a constructive commentary on support structures and how to help mold them as an educator. Likewise, his deconstructions of the violence both he and his son have encountered frame the concerns around violence against black people in an empathetic light, demonstrating the importance of uplifting and supporting the black youth affected by it. This is essential reading for anyone who plans on interacting with anyone else, but especially so for professionals, educators, and mental health providers working with youth.