Please answer the following questions on Ta-Nehisi Coates’ American Girl, a profile of Michelle Obama. Answers are to be uploaded by 6PM on Monday, November 23rd.

What is the theme of Ta Nehisi-Coates”s profile? Is there an overarching narrative? What surprises Coates about Michelle Obama? How does Coates contextualize Michelle in the context of his own background growing up in Baltimore?

Note: Coates has just received The National Book Award for Non-fiction for his new book, Between The World and Me. Do read it!

The theme of Ta Nehisi- Coates’s profile is the distinct difference about Coates’s impression of Michelle Obama based on her history as well as her father’s history and past as a former Black Panther. Michelle Obama constantly seems to surprise the writer. Breaking down his expectations as a Black woman. Particularly about how event though she talks about her past it doesn’t make her sound bitter, or encouraging a certain type of people. Even though Michelle Obama sounds like she is not trying to talk about a certain type of America she is the bridge between the black American story that adds to the melting pot. Coates contextualizes Michelle as being a product of Chicago. Lots of things made that black America is proud of, publications ,insurance companies, banks and congressmen. Where Michelle comes from as well as her awareness of what black is and how it defines in this society is shocking since not many people can experience that. It sounds like being in that bubble as the refers it. Is a good feeling in the sense of not limiting yourself to stereotypes but leaving that place cripples the individual.