I rarely cry when I am doing homework, and if I am, it’s probably out of frustration or exhaust with the work I’m doing. But the most telling answer to this prompt are my tears. Coates writes in such a visual and descriptive way that reading isn’t just reading anymore, it becomes an immersive experience. The reader doesn’t even remember that they’re reading at a point and truly feels apart of the story. Coates writing is a balanced mix of jarring and shockingly honest experiences with wise insight that is extremely nuanced but just as simple to understand. The best moments are when we fuses these two approaches to writing together which is highlighted in one particularly important moment of recounting Michael Brown’s murderers acquittal and his son’s reaction. Coates writes that “…you were young and still believed. You stayed up that night, waiting for the announcement of an indictment, and when instead it was announced that there was none, you said, “I’ve got to go,” and you went into your room, and I heard you crying. I came in five minutes after, and I didn’t hug you, and I didn’t comfort you, because I thought it would be wrong to comfort you. I did not tell you that it would be okay, because I have never believed it would be okay” (Coates 84). The reason why this example resonates so much with me is despite the retelling of a very specific instance, it’s still very relatable and understandable to most audiences. Whether or not someone is black, they can still connect to the sheer emotion and impact in Coates’ words. The power is in the simplicity and just retelling the facts of a harrowing story. This makes his writing accessible despite many audiences not being able to connect with being apart of black America. By keeping his stories short yet impactful, audiences can connect it to a similar story that may have occurred to them, even in a different context.
While Coates carefully created writing style helps make his work accessible, his honestly does as well. Coates is willing to highlight the good, the bad, and the plain ugly. We get a well-rounded perspective of black America from Coates through his own personal experiences and a historical analysis. Coates willingness to be so vulnerable and never shy away from the truth, even if it’s not pretty, is what connects the audience to him and promotes accessibility in his work. Even if readers may not be able to personally relate to Coates experiences, they know that they’ll form a connection or at least leave a lot more educated because Coates is a straight-shooter. There’s no sugarcoating and certainly no fluff, but there’s also no pretentiousness or ego coming from the writer, something that can be hard to find. This honesty, as well as the emotional grip Coates writes with, are what allows his work to resonate with a diverse pool of audiences.
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