Ball game Quote by Ta-Nehisi Coates
““And the plunder was not just of Prince alone. Think of all the love poured into him. Think of the tuitions for Montessori and music lessons. Think of the gasoline expended, the treads worn carting him to football games, basketball tournaments, and Little League. Think of all the time spent regulating sleepovers. Think of the surprise birthday parties, the daycare, and the reference checks on babysitters. Think of World Book and Childcraft. Think of checks written for family photos. Think of credit cards charged for vacations. Think of soccer balls, science kits, chemistry sets, racetracks, and model trains. Think of all the embraces, all the private jokes, customs, greetings, names, dreams, all the shared knowledge and capacity of a black family injected into that vessel of flesh and bone. And think of how that vessel was taken, shattered on the concrete, and all its holy contents, all that had gone into him, sent flowing back to the earth.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: The Last Angel of History, 2015
The quote enumerates the countless sacrifices and investments a community makes in a child's life, then mourns the violent loss of that potential.
In simple terms: A community's love and resources poured into a child, then destroyed.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and protect the value of each life.
Themes
family
loss
community
violence
inheritance
Mood
sorrowful
reflective
angry
Type
lament
social commentary
When to use this quote
- parenting
- education
- community support
- grieving
- advocacy
Key Concepts
social responsibility
collective memory
systemic injustice
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies better safeguard vulnerable lives?
- What responsibilities do communities have to prevent such loss?
A Different Perspective
The quote may overlook systemic factors that enable such tragedies.
![“[Winning the White House was an achievement], but as an African-American, [Barack Obama], I think the symbolism is in how he conducted himself. The symbolism was in - and this sounds really, really small, but it's actually big for African-Americans - the symbolism was not in being an…” quote by Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5dc/ta-nehisi-coates-733_achievement_winning-the-white-house-was-an-achieveme_47651.jpg)
![“[Grew up in Hawaii] that gave [Barack Obama] a kind of optimism, an ability to see things, you know, and frankly, an ability to trust, you know, in his fellow, you know, white countrymen in a way that I, for instance, you know, and the vast majority of black people I know never really could.” quote by Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/feb/ta-nehisi-coates-733_ability_grew-up-in-hawaii-that-gave-barack-obama_75931.jpg)
