Some people tend to gravitate toward escapism when freedom becomes too valuable. We live in a world where racial identity can affect our economic, social, and educational standing. A world where the color of a person’s skin can be a blockage to their freedom, making them a prisoner of themselves; which distorts their individuality. All throughout the American history, African-American’s have been oppressed and socially deprived in the nation. It does not matter how hard they work in school, and do the right thing, the color of their skin, will always make them vulnerable. ZZ Packer’s story collection, Drinking Coffee Elsewhere portrays the history and hardship of being an African-American in U.S. In the short stories, the protagonists, primarily