Why did Coates's father beat him with his belt?

Ta-Nehisi Coates grew up in West Baltimore, an economically depressed and drug-infested community. 

Coates is beaten as a response to an altercation with his school teacher at the time. According to Coates, his father reasoned that the boy could either be beaten by his father or be beaten later by the police—a confrontation that could result in serious injury or death.

In retrospect, Coates understands that his father—like many black parents, especially those from lower-income...

Ta-Nehisi Coates grew up in West Baltimore, an economically depressed and drug-infested community. 

Coates is beaten as a response to an altercation with his school teacher at the time. According to Coates, his father reasoned that the boy could either be beaten by his father or be beaten later by the police—a confrontation that could result in serious injury or death.

In retrospect, Coates understands that his father—like many black parents, especially those from lower-income communities—was operating from a place of fear. He was afraid of losing his son to police brutality—a fate that would have become more likely if he had allowed Coates to remain defiant and unruly in school. He reasoned that, if the boy feared his father's wrath, he would not dare to cause further trouble in school.