Summary

The speaker of “dear white america” has left Earth behind in search of a new God and a better home. They no longer trust “your” God and his inconsistent miracles, nor can they forget the violent legacy of America. The speaker laments the loss of brothers to the law’s recklessness, America’s “master magic trick” (25). The next section contrasts the pain of black communities’ bereavement with the insensitivity of white spectators, making brunch plans at a funeral, asking why it has to be about race, discounting the voices of black boys and men, or ignoring the disappearance of black girls. After so many generations, there is no time left for “progress”; the speaker has left Earth in search of a place where black lives will not be cast aside.

In “dinosaurs in the hood,” the speaker outlines a new adventure movie. This...