The Message

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of sexual violence and/or harassment

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Coates structures The Message as a series of four essays built around his travels to different geographical locations. What did you find most effective or ineffective about this approach in conveying his central arguments?

2. Did reading Coates’s self-critique regarding his essay “The Case for Reparations” change your perception of him as a writer? This approach of public self-reflection brings to mind James Baldwin’s similar introspection in works like Notes of a Native Son. What other examples of this approach can you think of? 

3. Which of the four essays in The Message resonated with you most powerfully? Why?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Coates describes discovering how stories can be used to maintain oppressive power structures. When have you realized that a narrative you had accepted was working to maintain existing power dynamics?

2. In “On Pharaohs,” Coates confronts how his idealized image of Africa differs from its reality. Describe a time when visiting a place important to your identity challenged your preconceptions.