As raw as he writes about his childhood in Baltimore I think it might have been more than he shared. But share he does and it is poetic. Ta-Nehisi writes brilliantly with words that paint and sing, the beat of his drum and the sound of the pounding sneakers and boombox leap off the page.
In the dark moments he felt loved and found light. His father was difficult but he was present and did what he thought was best for his children. His mother was tough but loved as hard.
While it may not have been easy to grow up where and when he did, I have to wonder if he would have been the writer he is now had he not been exposed early and often to the incredible works his father made or tried to make him read and surrounded him with.
He writes equally eloquently about navigating the dangers of his neighborhood, his discovery of the Rap music coming out of NYC in the late 70's into the 80's, playing D&D, and watching wrestling.
He doesn't shy away from talking about how his father handled discipline (big leather belt). He doesn't shy away from owning his fears and shortcomings. He shares his journey from boy to man openly and powerfully.
And it was a glimpse into something I can't every fully understand as much as I want to, what it is like to walk the planet in the skin of a black man. There was an incident when he was in school where Ta-Nehisi says his grace in his body hadn't caught up with his growth and he bumped a teacher totally accidentally but it ended up with him being suspended for the altercation sparking a conversation with his father about having to be aware that jut by being a big guy in black skin he would be perceived as a threat even when he isn't.
In sharing his struggle to Knowledge I feel like he has taught me to better listen deeply and with care, a skill I am constantly looking to improve.
(Finished March 3, 2019)
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