Howard University: The Mecca
Racism is a problem that still exists today and a lot of times leads to hatred. In the community we live in today, most people would say racism is resolved or nonexistent. Yet it’s a problem that still hasn’t been fully resolved. Within the problem of racism lies another problem of the sense of safety and security of African Americans. Is there any place where African Americans can feel that they are one hundred percent safe, without any fear. Last year Botham Jean a 26 year old accountant was sitting in his living room eating ice cream when he was shot by police officer Amber Guyger, who thought he was an intruder in her apartment but really she was in the wrong apartment. Botham Jean was unarmed and harmless, sitting in his own apartment yet he was shot and killed. Imagen being afraid for your life in the privacy of your own home. If African Americans can’t even feel safe in their own homes, is there anywhere they would feel safe? For Coates it might be Howard University, well on page 31, he specifically says it too, “My only Mecca was, is, and shall always be Howard University”. The Howard University homecoming is a celebration of black culture, music and arts festival, a history lesson and a community reunion. Howard University represents a Mecca for Coates because it brings him to a community where he feels accepted, safe, without any hatred. Where he can come together with people just like him, to create a great community. Where he may feel safe without any fear.
In the book “Between the World and Me” by Ta Nehasi Coates, Coates doesn’t always feel safe or protected, even at home but he talks about Howard University as a Mecca for him. He describes the Mecca on page 40 as “The Mecca is a machine, crafted to capture and concentrate the dark energy of all African peoples and inject it directly into the student body”. My interpretation is He’s talking about how the history of other great famous African American, give them hope and motivate them to do something great of their own. On page 41, he says, “the vastness of black people across spacetime could be experienced in a twenty minute walk across campus”. You are able to see all kinds of different African American people. African American poets, filmmakers and future doctors and lawyers. All different kinds of skilled African Americans given an opportunity. In a New York Times article Aisha Beau Johnson said “You see the different shades and ranges of black people here,” something very similar to what Coates said. She also says, “You can really be whoever you are and find yourself without that distraction of race.” That shows the sense of safety and protection these African Americans can feel going to Howard University. Many of the people that have experienced Howard have very similar views. Lastly, Coates on page 43 says, “Through The Mecca I saw that we were, in our own segregated body politic, cosmopolitans.” They were in their own black community, split up by race.
The dictionary definition of Mecca is a place that attracts people to it. That’s why for Coates and many other African Americans, Howard University represents a Mecca. In conclusion, Howard University represents a Mecca for Coates because it brings him to a community where he feels accepted, safe, without any hatred. Where he can come together with people just like him, to create a great community. Where he may feel safe without any fear. Finally I want to leave you with this final question. What if instead it was a white man's apartment, do you think he would have also been shot and killed? Or was Botham Jean killed just because of the color of his skin?
