The Beautiful Struggle

Coates uses the term “Mecca” to refer to Howard University, a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) where his father works and the very seat of “Consciousness” of Black Americans. 

Why do you think Coates refrains from referring to Howard University by its actual name throughout the book? Consider these points as you reflect on how “Mecca” functions in the text:

• How does referring to Howard University as “Mecca” create a kind of in-group for those who might immediately understand the reference? What is the point of creating an in-group around this term?
• What is the actual Mecca? Why do you think Coates uses a spiritual term to describe Howard?
• What does it mean, then, when Coates eventually reaches “Mecca” when he is admitted to Howard?

Teaching Suggestion: Coates’s calling Howard University “Mecca” functions to deepen the text on multiple levels: First, it creates an in-group where Coates is speaking to other Black Americans who are more likely to know precisely what university he is referring to when he refers to Howard as “Mecca.” This connects to the core theme of Black Culture as Liberation by creating a shared shorthand for this revered Black institution. Second, it is a religious allusion, which emphasizes the intense passion and near-holy respect that Coates has for Knowledge. Lastly, Coates finally gaining admission to this institution adds a natural conclusion to his bildungsroman: In this memoir that connects to Everyday Life as Myth, Coates does not simply “go to college” as he enters adulthood; he makes a holy pilgrimage to Mecca. Consider reviewing the Five Pillars of Islam with students as a class to strengthen their understanding of hajj, or the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.