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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does the author apologize to his son?

2. To where did the mother of the author's son travel when she turned 30?

3. Why was the author ashamed of his thoughts as he took his four-year-old son to preschool?

4. What comparison does the author make between the police officer who shot Prince Jones and the ones who died on September 11?

5. According to the author, this son has been cast into "a race in which the wind is always at your face and _____" what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the death of the boy on page 112 (Jordan Davis) reinforce the author's theory that the "Dream" is dangerous?

2. What impact does the death of Prince Jones have on the author?

3. Why has the author been too afraid to encourage his son to stand up for his rights?

4. Why is the author's fear of his son seeing him arrested greater than his fear of being arrested?

5. What reasons does the author give for the woman feeling validated in pushing his son off the escalator?

6. How did the author's trip to Paris affect his view of what it means to live in a black body?

7. Why does the author worry that others will tell his son that the lessons he is trying to teach are an unnecessary part of the past?

8. According to Coats, how have the American legal system and the banking industry conspired together to create the illusion known as "The Dream"?

9. What is the significance of the author's description of the slave burial plot in southern Manhattan?

10. What reasons does the author give for the anger of the man who was having his home repossessed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author spends a great deal of time describing his Mecca, Howard University, as an escape from the fear that once plagued his life as a child on the streets of Baltimore. Keeping in mind that Howard is a private university that not every student can afford, what other Meccas might exist in America that could parallel the author's experience? Are there other places or experiences that could provide a similar bond of safety and community for the black student? If so, what? Is the author's Mecca a physical place or a state of mind? Explain your answer citing examples from the author's work.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the author's encounter with his unnamed French friend in Paris. What reservations did Coates have throughout the entire day? Why was he uncomfortable having his friend pay for the meal? What past experiences might have prompted him to insist that his friend walk out of the restaurant first? Describe what the author means when he says he feels he missed out on part of the experience because his eyes "were blindfolded by fear."

Essay Topic 3

When the killer of Michael Brown was set free, Samori (the author's son) was overwrought with anger and sorrow. The author could not bring himself to console his son, although he did sit with him as Samori grieved. Why did Coates find himself unwilling to console his son? Why were things "not going to be okay"? What lesson was Coates trying to teach his son in that moment?

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