Between the World and Me Cover Redesign

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Type Based Cover

Handwritten type done with watercolor

Explanation

For the type-based cover, I wanted to use the motif of a boot print to allude to the themes of struggle and agency. The author says: “I didn’t realize that the boot on your neck is just as likely to make you delusional as it is to ennoble.” He stresses that the black struggle, especially in America, is meaningful, and this is why he names his son “Samori.” Coates says: “We knew we did not lay down the direction of the street, but despite that, we could—and must—fashion the way of our walk."

Image Based Cover

Portrait of author Ta-Nehisi Coates and his son done with watercolor, embroidered with red yarn

Explanation

For the image-based cover, I painted the portrait of Coates and his son using watercolor, as the book is essentially a passing down of knowledge between two generations. It delves into not only systemic racism, but also the intergenerational abuse that perpetuates within the black community. Coates recounts his childhood experiences with abuse and expresses his hopes of breaking this cycle with his son. I also used yarn to separate and isolate the subject on the front cover, as the central theme of Between the World and Me focuses on the disparities between the black and white experience.