Quote
Catalog

Ta-Nehisi Coates

14 quotesJournalist · Born Sep 30, 1975 · United States Of America · Male

Ta-Nehisi Paul Coates (/ˌtɑːnəˈhɑːsi ˈkoʊts/ TAH-nə-HAH-see KOHTS; born September 30, 1975) is an American writer, journalist, and educator. Coates is a national correspondent for The Atlantic, where he writes about cultural, social and political issues, particularly as they regard African-Americans. Coates has worked for The Village Voice, Washington City Paper, and Time. He has contributed to The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, The Washington Monthly, O, and other publications. In 2008 he published a memoir, The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood. His second book, Between the World and Me, was released in July 2015. It won the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction, and is a nominee for the Phi Beta Kappa 2016 Book Awards. He was the recipient of a "Genius Grant" from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in 2015. 2Early life Coates was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to father William Paul "Paul" Coates, a Vietnam War veteran, former Black Panther, publisher and librarian, and mother Cheryl Waters, who was a teacher. Coates' father founded and ran Black Classic Press, a publisher specializing in African-American title

All The Atlantic (5)Business (5)commentary (5)News (5)TheAtlantic.com (5)Opinion (5)Politics (5)national and life (5)The Atlantic Magazine (5)Science (5)Atlantic (5)analysis (5)international (5)Culture (5)Technology (5)

From “Between the World and Me”

I was made for the library, not the classroom. The classroom was a jail of other people’s interests. The library was open, unending, free.

Education Books Learning

Not all of us can always be Jackie Robinson–not even Jackie Robinson was always Jackie Robinson.

Life

The problem with the police is not that they are fascist pigs but that our country is ruled by majoritarian pigs.

Police The Problem with Police

White America’ is a syndicate arrayed to protect its exclusive power to dominate and control our bodies. Sometimes this power is direct (lynching), and sometimes it is insidious (redlining). But however it appears, the power of domination and exclusion is central to the belief in being white, and…

White America Lynching racism

One cannot, at once, claim to be superhuman and then plead mortal error. I propose to take our countrymen’s claims of American exceptionalism seriously, which is to say I propose subjecting our country to an exceptional moral standard.

Moral Standards American Exceptionalism

But race is the child of racism, not the father. And the process of naming ‘the people’ has never been a matter of genealogy and physiognomy so much as one of hierarchy. Difference in hue and hair is old. But the belief in the preeminence of hue and hair, the notion that these factors can correctly…

Race racism

There exists, all around us, an apparatus urging us to accept American innocence at face value and not to inquire too much.

Media Control Don't Question

From “The Case for Reparations”

Indeed, in America there is a strange and powerful belief that if you stab a black person ten times, the bleeding stops and the healing begins the moment the assailant drops the knife. We believe white dominance to be a fact of the inert past, a delinquent debt that can be made to disappear if only…

racism America Black Lives Matter black lives Matter

From “The First White President”

Trump’s political career began in advocacy of birtherism. But long before that, he had made his worldview clear.

Trump Birtherism Origins of Trump The Atlantic The Atlantic Magazine

Barack Obama delivered to black people the hoary message that if they work twice as hard as white people, anything is possible. But Trump’s counter is persuasive: Work half as hard as black people, and even more is possible

Trump Obama vs. Trump The Atlantic The Atlantic Magazine TheAtlantic.com

Certainly not every Trump voter is a white supremacist, just as not every white person in the Jim Crow South was a white supremacist. But every Trump voter felt it acceptable to hand the fate of the country over to one.

Trump Administration President Trump Racism In America The Atlantic The Atlantic Magazine

Asserting that Trump’s rise was primarily powered by cultural resentment and economic reversal has become de rigueur among white pundits and thought leaders. But evidence for this is, at best, mixed.

Trump Administration President Trump The Atlantic The Atlantic Magazine TheAtlantic.com

White Americans elected an orcish reality-TV star who insists on taking his intelligence briefings in picture-book form.

Trump Administration President Trump The Atlantic The Atlantic Magazine TheAtlantic.com

From “I’m Not Black, I’m Kanye”

It is often easier to choose the path of self-destruction when you don't consider who you are taking along for the ride.

Kanye West and Donald Trump Kanye West

MMWWWMMMMW&KKMWM MMMMMM&K WWW K MWWK KK&MWWWWWWKK &M& &WWMM&&&M&K K&&&MWWWWWWMK&K&MW WWWMM&KK WWWWK WWW& KK&MWWWWWMK &WW& WWWWWWWM&&K KKK&&MWWW&W WWWMM&K MWWWWW KWWWWM & K&&MMMK&& KMW& MWWWWWWM&KK K&&MWMMWMMWMK K&MWWM&K KWWWWWWWWWWWM WWWWWW & KK&&&MM& MKMWWWWMKK KK KKKK&&&MWWMMMWMWM&&MM&&K WWWWWWWWWWWM &M&MK K&M&MMMWW &MMKMMMM& KKKKKK&KKWM& KMKKK & WWWWWWWM& K& KK&K&K K&&MMK KKKK&&MM&K &K K M&K M WWWWW& KKKM& KWWW& &MK&M&K KK&&&&&&MM KK K&&K && MM KKK&&MK &MWW&K K K&KK&&&&& K KK W&K K W KKMM&&K MMWM&&K KKK&M&&MMWM&&MMM&K &WM K W& KM&MMMM &&WW&&&K &MMWWWWWWMMM& WW& KWW K&MWWWWWWWMMMMM&&&& &&MWMWMM& WW WM KMWWWWWMMMM& K & K WWM MWW K&MMMM&K M&K WWWW&K &WWWWK &W &K MW &MMKK&&KK KKK KWWWWMM &WM WWWWMWWMM&&&KK & WWWWWWMMMMK &WWWM WWWWWWWMMMWWWWWWWW&WWW MWWWWWWW&WWWWMMMMWWWWWM WWWWWWWWM&WWMWM&&WWWWW WWWWWWWW&MWM&WWWWWWW MWWWWWWWWW&&MKMWWWWWWW WWWWWWWWW&MWWWWWWWMW WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW KWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW WWWWWWWWW WWWWWWWWW& WWWWWWWW &WWWWWWWWK WWWWWWW WWWWWWWWW KWWWWWWW WWWWWWWWK MWWWWWW WWWWWWWW KWWWWWWW WWWWWWW K&&&&& KKK&K WWWWWWM W&WWWWWK WWWWWWWW W WWWWWWW W KK W M K KM W & K&K M W WW W M WWWWWWW&W WWWWW W W W &W W WWWW W& W KWW& W WK M W&W WW W WWWWWWWW WMW W W WWWWWWW WWWW& WWWWWWW WWWW & & K K K W M & W MK KK KM W WK K KK W K K& WWWWWW WWWK W W W W M W WW W W W WKM MM W MM W W&MM W W W WW WM &W W MW&K W &WWWWW WWW & & K KK & K K K &K K K && WWWWW WWK WWWWK WW WK W MM MWWWW WK W &W W &MM W&WK&&K M W MW W W W W WW&KW&WKW WW WW MKW WW MWWWW W KK M M M& KK K & M M K W K W KM KW MWWWW K

..........: :.. , . , : : :, . ,,,,. . : , :::::::, ,,, . ........ ., : :. , ,. . ,. , ., , ::,::::, :,, ............ : :. . , : ,,. . , :::,,,, ,,, .. ........., :, : : : .:, . .,:::::: .,, .. ..,,.,,:::: . . , . , . . . , ,, :. . ..,: :::, ::, ...,..,:::::: ,, . :: . , . . : . . : . .. .. . : :: ::, ,,,,:,.,::: :,. . : .: : :: . : : ..,.. . ... : ::, ::::::::,,: , : , . .: , , , ::::: : : . , . , .: :, ,. : :: : : : , : ,: :::::::,: :: :. :: : , : ,. , ., :::::::,,:::: : :: . , ,, . ., : , , . . , ,. : ,,: :::,::::: : : , . , :, . . :. . . : ,:::::,:::::::: :,. , . . :. : : .... . . : . ..... , : ,. . . .. ,.. , :, . : : . : ,. : ., :. : :,. .,, , .. . , . ,, , , :: . .. : . , :. ....: , , .. . : :: : . , : : .: : : ,.. , : , ,: , .. . . , , :, . . ,:, , . ., :: : ,: .. . ... : : , , : . . :. ,. . . : , : ..,, . ., : :., : : ., .., . .. ,.., ,. , ,: : . .: : , . .,: :.. :.: . ::. .., . .: ,: . ,. . .: , ,: . , . :,. ., :. : : :........:.,: .. ., : . , .. .. .,: :.: ,. , : .: . :: , ,,., : :, . , : : . . .: : ,: :,. : , .,, . , . , : :: ,,: .: . , ..,, , : , . : : :: : . :,: , ::: , :., . . :. : ::. , :. : :.,.,::. , :,,.. . ,, , .., : : : . :: ,::, : ,: .: :,. ., ..,:, :. ,. : , :. . . , :::. . :, : : : .:: ::,,,,, ., .. : : ,:,,: : ,, , ., , ,:,,. . . . . ,. . . ,:,, .,,, :::,,: :,, ,: . : , : ::::. .. .. : : ::: : ,, , , . , :,: ::, .: :,,,.. . .: , : :: , : ., :: :: :,,:: : : :: . . : , . ::::: , ,::.: :: . .. .: ::::,, .,: .. : : ,, :, :: ::.: , ::,::,, :::,. : ...::. , , :,:, . : ::: . ,, .:,: :::::,: : , : , : : . , : . ,::::.: : ::. :: ::: . : : :: :::, ,,: .: , :::::, : . : :,,.,. ::,, ::::::, : . .:: :::: ::: , ::,.: : : :. , ::,:,: ,. , . . . ,..,: ::.. . :::::,,,: : ::: ... : , :: : ,,,. : ::: . ,: ,: :: .: :::::,: .::::,: : ,: : : . ,,:: :: :: :. : :: , ,,::::,:: ,, :.: ::. ::,::: :::,,: ,, , .::::::

** * ~~~~ ~ ~~ * }* < ~ }} < } ~~~~~~ } } ~ } } * *} }} <} } * * } * } }* < } *< * } * }}< ~ <~ << <* < *~ << ~<}*~ ** } } ~ ~ < * <<~~~~<<<~~~< * < } } ~~ ~ ~~~*~*~ <~ }<} }} < }< * ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ < ~ <} * }<~ *<~~ ~~<<< *~~ < < < } ~* < } ~ ~~~~~ ~ ~~~~< * }} *} <<< ~<~< <~~ ~~~~~<<<<~ ~<~* <* ~ } }} < * < < ~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~ * * ~ } < } ~*} ~<<<~ <~< <~~<<<<***<<~ << * * } * ~*~ ~~ ~ ~~~~~ ~ ** <*} *<**~ *<* ***************~* ~ } * ~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~~~ } ~ }< < ~} }* }<***< **< ****}}}}}*****}* * }} < } }~ *~* } ~ < *< <} ~ * } ~}} }}*}}}* *<< ***}}}}}}}****** ~< }* }< <~*}< < ~<~ ~< } }< ~*}* } *}}}* }** }}}}}}}}}***}**}*< *} }*< << * }~~<~ } ~<**}~ <*< ~~ * *< } * *~}* *** }}}}}}}}}}}}}< <} <~~~ }}*} *}* * * }*<<<< * *<~<* }} }}}}} < } < * } *}}<* *** } }}}}} } }}}} ** ~ ~ ~ }} ****< < <~< }**}*}}} } *} ~* } *** ~< }} ~*} **}** *** }}} } }}~ ~ ~} *~ ~***<* ~~< }} * * *}* ~ ~ * *}} }}} }} ~ * } ~< < < ~}}}}*~ ***** <<* }~ ~} }<< ~<< < ~} * ~}} }} *}}~**}}} <~ }** * <* **** *~* }} * }}} < }*}< ~* ~ } }* }} }* } * ~< * ~ } } }**} ~*~* *}}*}}}}}}<< < *< * * }} }} } }*}*<*<< }<~ ** < ~<} } <}} ~*** <*}<}}}*}**~ *** ~ * ~ }} *}}*}*<}*~ *~ * < * ~~<* *}<* *~~* *}****<< } }~* ~~* ~ *}} <*}<}*<<* < }* }} ~~ } } *<~*<**<*~<< <~ ~ <<} <}< < ~ ~ }}~ }* <** ****< *~ <*<<}*< } }}}* *~ < <<<*<<< ~ *}*} <~~} *< < ~~ *< } ~<* <****< < *~ ~~~~ } ~<~ < * < < }* }}}* * * ~<**<<~ ~ ***}*< * < ~ ~ * }}*} ~~< ~<<<~~ <~ } }~ } <* } ~ ***<< < ~ * ~~<<~~ ~<}*< < }<~}< ~~ ~ <}} < **~* ~<< ~~<<*~~ << << < * * ~~* ~ } ~ ~ < ~~~~ ~ ~ }}} } * ~~ < *} < * <<~~* ~~<< ~< < } <} } ~* } } * * } < ~<* ~~ ~~~ <<* *< ~ <**} ~ ~<}}< *} * <*~* << ~ ~~ ~ < ~ *<**** ~ *< * * ~ * <~ ~ ~<~ < <*** * ~ ~ ~ ~ <* ~ ~ ~ < } } < }* * < <~~} ~ ~<<~ ~ ~ ~ ~<*****}* ~ ~ <} } <* ~ ~**} ~ * <} < } } } < } **} ~ ~<~~ ~~<< < < }***}< ~~~ ~ ~ ~}<} ** <*}}} }*} * * } } }< * * }}*< < ~<<< ~ ~~~ ~ ~ }* *}} ~ ~~ ~~ ~ << **~ ** ~~~***< ~ ~*** ** < <~~<<<< ~~~~ ~*}* ** ~~ ~~~~ ~ ~~ ~~< ~ ~<<~<<~ ~ < ~ <<}} * }}<} } < } } ~ * ~ * **< *} <~ <~<~<<<~~~ ~~~~ *}**}} } ~ ~~ ~~~~~~~< <<~~ ~~ <*} ~ ~ ~ ~ < ~ ~ < } < < } ~~<<* <<~ <~~~~~<~~~ ~~~ ~~ * }*} * ~~~~~ ~< ~<<*} ~ ~~ ~ < ~~ < } ~* < * < < ~ ~~~~~~<~~ ~~~~~ ~ * }* ~ ~~~~~~~~ <<~~~<<*~~ ~~~

j V UU Uo jo V U oV V jV U VU V o UV Uo j U U j jVU U UU V jVUU UV Vj UV Vj j U Uj oVU UV VU o j VU joVUUUU U UVV U o joVVU Vj oo jj Uj joVU UUVj j jojV jVVUUUU UVUU UUo UVVU Uoj j jV UUV U o oVoV U V UUU VjjjooUUU UUUUUV VU V Uo U UV V o V jVU Uj VU Uoj UV j VV j VU VoVV UVjV UU V o o U Vo joV V oVUj oo jjU Uo j oUU Ujj j V U UUj j o oo j jVU j V VjVVVUUVo U o o oU UUU UU jUjo VU UojjjoU o jj j joUUU oVo j U j oV V j j Uj jooVoV Uj V U joV UU U j oV VooooooooVVU Uoj V o V V joUj jjoV ooVo o oU UUVoooooooojj o U VooooVU j U jjooooVVVojjooj j jjj U Vooooj j j j U UUVj j j UoooooooVVooj j V jj jo j j j o UVVoVUU j jj ooj VoooooVU o jjjj jj jjjj V oj jj jjjjjjjj j o joj jjjj jj jjo ojjojjjoojjj Vo V U oo j jjjjj o j jjjj j o j jojo joj j j jj o V jooo j j oo j o j j j o U j j j jj V V j jj jVj joooo j V jjjjj j oj V jj jjj V UUV jj j U V jjj j jo j jj U j VUV o jU j VU o oU V o V Uj jj V j V o V o o jo V j j U jj oVj jj o Uj j j jj o o U oo j VVo j j jo j jo j j j U U o U UVjU o jV U VU V VV VUoj V U o U U o UU o VV U oU U o UV o V V o U j jj o o U V o j V UUoooV VU o o UV UU U j U oo U U jjj j jjo V o o j o j o j j j jj o V jj UV o o V Voo j V j j U o oU jj o jU UjVVo Uo V U oj U jUojj U U V jjj oU j

WWWW&MKWWW& WW &W KWWWMMW&WWWM &&MWWWMKWW& WWWWM WWW KMW& KWWWK MMMMK K M& KWWK &MM MK MM& &MWMK &M W & MW& WW& MWWW M K KWWWWM& KMK K W& WWWWWM&W WWWM&KMWW WWWWWWWW KWWWWWWWK MWWW WWWW WWWM WWWW M& &K KWWW WWW & &W& M&K&W WK MWW WWWM WWM WWW KW W &&KK &M K M M K K &MKW KWW KW & K WWK & W W&M&WKW W W&M W MM&&WW MWW KWWKM W M W W K K K K &WWWW WWWWWK WWWWWWW WWWWWWW MMWWWWWW &M&WWWWWM KKKKWWWKK& WWK & K KWWK WMMMWMMK K &WWWWMWMWWWM WWWW&WKWWWWM

,,. , : . ,, .,:, .. : : :: : , . .: . , :: : , , : :: :,:.,,:,. . ., :: , : ,.:: , ,: : :: : , , , : : , , . , ,,,,, :: ,:, . :, , ., : ,, : . , , : , :: : , : ,: : : , . : , . : :: : : : : , : : . , : : : , : , . . , . , : ::, : :: . , .. : :: :: : :: . : ...,,,:.,,, ,,..... .....,,,,,.. ,,.:,,,.,: :,.........,,.,,:,,.. .....,,,., ,.. .,,,. ..,,.,:::,. ,.,,..,,.: . ., ,.. .,,.,:,:,, ......,,... ,. : ,..,,::::: ,.,,.:,,.. . , : ,.,.,,,,, : ,.,...,,,. : :,:,:::, , ,......,.. . , ,,,,::: , ..,,,,.,... : . :::,:: , ........., , , :,,,,. ...,,..,: :: :,:,, , ....... ::,:. , ......: ::: ,::, . . ..,.., ,., :,,.. , ..., ,,:: :::,, , , ,..: . .:,:,, , .. ... : , , ... ., : ::,: , ,,,, :: : .: : : :::, ::: :

~< < *<* * } <~~ ~ } * * } * * < << ~ ~ ~<*}~ <* ~*} ~***< } ~ } <* < <<**<<*} } <<~<<*< ~ ~ } <} } }} }}}<} } < < ~ } } ~ } ~} }} ~~ *< } } }<< ~ ~* } < ~ < <** < * } <* ~ <}<} }~ *< }*<}~* * < < * ~< }**~ < ~}*<} }}}}~ * **}< <}~ *<**~~ } ~ << } <<*}< * * ~ }* <~<*~ < ~*~ }* <~<* <~<< <* <<~ * * } }< } } * *~~*~ ~* } < }~<*~~* << <~~*<~<*<~ } <<~<<<~}<* <}* <~< * } * } } * < < * <**<~*<<< ~****< ~<* ~ ~* <~<*} * }* * ~<* * <<< * ****~**< <*} * <**}< ~<<* <~<*} * **}~ } ****<~** * }<<< ~**** *<<*} }* * ~*}}~ *~*****<** * }~ }**< <*<*} ~ ~~~~~ * ~~~~ ~~~~ ~ ~ ~~~~~ ~ * } ~ ~~ ~~~ < < < <*< * ~}} } <*~ ~ *< }}~ < * * } * *} } * } *}~ <} * }*}~ }* }*~ * ~ ~}} < ~ * * ~* *}< } < < < <} *} *~ } ~~~*} } * ~*~ ~ < < << < ~*~ } }* ~ ~ ** ~ ~*< } ~ ~**~ * ~

V j o j UV V o UU UV V o jU j Uo jV V o o UU V j U oo j UVoU j j jVU V V o o U o j jj jjjjj UVoo j UUVVVUUU o ooVUojjo oj jjjjjj U U o jjjj j V j o oo jj U j ojoj j o j j o V j jj oo U V o jo j j j V o oU j j j j j oU V U oU o U VjUU U j j oj o o o o o ojVU o Ujo V jVV o ojjjj jU o jj o jV oV U V U U U V U ojj oo o U V j U VU j jj j j j jV j V U j U o o j V U j jo j jU o j ojoU VU oV o U j oo o

Related People