Ta-Nehisi Coates Quotes

Ta-Nehisi Coates
Ta-Nehisi Coates
American Journalist
Born: Sep 30, 1975
Black Country People Think White You
Related authors: Ambrose Bierce Dave Barry Erma Bombeck Hunter S. Thompson Mignon McLaughlin Walter Cronkite William F. Buckley, Jr. William Lloyd Garrison
The symbolic power of Barack Obama's presidency - that whiteness was no longer strong enough to prevent peons taking up residence in the castle - assaulted the most deeply rooted notions of white supremacy and instilled fear in its adherents and beneficiaries. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Strong Fear Power White Enough Presidency Beneficiaries Obama Prevent Castle Taking Instilled Longer Most Supremacy Up Barack Rooted Notions Whiteness Assaulted Residence Deeply Symbolic
My chief identity, to my mind, was not 'writer' but 'college dropout.' Ta-Nehisi Coates
Mind College Writer Identity Chief
If, to the end of its existence, America harbors white supremacy, I don't know how remarkable that would be. France has dealt with anti-Semitism since its inception. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Anti-Semitism White France Would Would-Be Remarkable Since Know Supremacy Dealt How Existence End America Harbors Inception
To be black in the Baltimore of my youth was to be naked before the elements of the world. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Youth World Black Naked Before Baltimore Elements
Black people are pledging their fealty to the state, and yet they aren't getting the same return. This is theft. It's systemized. Ta-Nehisi Coates
People Black State Return Same Getting Theft
In the 1930s and the 1940s, we set up the FHA. We set up the Home Owners' Loan Corporation. We set up specific bureaus to make our communities look the way they look. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Home Loan Our Corporation Way Look Make Up Owners Communities Specific Set
There's no way to understand housing as it exists today without federal policy. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Today Way Federal Policy Without Housing Understand Exists
Abraham Lincoln was killed by the forces of white supremacy. Ta-Nehisi Coates
White Abraham Abraham Lincoln Supremacy Forces Lincoln
The mainstream sort of presentation of the civil rights movement was not something that I directly inherited. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Rights Rights Movement Civil Civil Rights Civil Rights Movement Something Directly Mainstream Sort Movement Inherited Presentation
Eddie Conway is central to my first memories. My parents used to take me to, when it was open, the Baltimore city penitentiary to see Eddie Conway - I was talking to my dad about this recently - from the time I might have been one or two years old. I mean, literally, my first memories are of black men in jail, specifically of Eddie Conway. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Time Me Memories Old Black Men Parents First One Or Two City See About Take Open Eddie Talking Been Years Baltimore Jail Literally Central Mean Might Conway Used Dad Specifically Two Recently
When people hear the term 'political prisoner,' especially on the Left, it becomes a kind of abstraction. Folks are aware of injustice, and they're aware that there are folks in prison who are in prison, you know, largely because of their activism. Ta-Nehisi Coates
You Injustice People Political Prison Prisoner Kind Folks Abstraction Term Know Because Becomes Hear Left Who Activism Aware Largely
Amiri Baraka went to Howard. Lucille Clifton went to Howard. Ossie Davis went to Howard. And I was aware of that when I was there. Charles Drew went to Howard. Thurgood Marshall went to the law school. Being aware of that and having all of that brought to bear, again, it's one of those things that I can't really separate from my career as a writer. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Law School Those Charles Marshall Law School Brought Drew Having Bear Writer Davis Being Again Really Separate Lucille Aware Things Career
I'm not familiar particularly with Hillary Clinton's neighborhood, but I wish people were a little bit more curious about what we call privilege and about why it's there. Black people in this country have no choice but to be curious. We have to know. I wish folks would do a little bit more investigation. Ta-Nehisi Coates
People Black Wish Country Bit Neighborhood No Choice Would Folks About More Investigation Know Particularly Hillary Call Were Clinton Familiar Privilege Curious Little Little Bit Choice Why
Life is always a problem. The fact that I'm on the radio saying that I don't necessarily see hope does not relieve people, does not relieve my son, does not relieve children, of the responsibility to struggle. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Life Hope Saying Struggle Son People Problem Responsibility Relieve See Fact Does Always Children Radio Necessarily
We had particular policies in this country that resulted in the larger share of poverty that we have in African-American communities. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Poverty Country Resulted Had Share Particular Policies African-American Communities Larger
One can say Senator Sanders should have more explicit antiracist policy within his racial justice platform, not just more general stuff, and still cast a vote for Senator Sanders and still feel that Senator Sanders is the best option that we have in the race. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Best Justice Vote Say General More Cast Feel Stuff Policy Within Still His Option Senator Just Race Explicit Racial Should Platform
Donald Trump did not appear by magic. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Magic Trump Did Donald Donald Trump Appear
White racial grievance enjoys automatic credibility, and even when disproven, it is never disqualifying of its bearers. Ta-Nehisi Coates
White Never Automatic Grievance Racial Even Credibility
When you know that people know who you are, you are always working - and not the work you want to do. You are sort of performing, because you know they are looking - or at least glancing - at you. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Work You People Looking Performing Know Sort Because Always Least Want Working Who
People sort of went crazy when 'BTWAM' came out. I'm happy a bunch of people read it. I'm happy it touched so many people. I'm less happy that it became an object for certain folks or was discussed that way. I'm less happy that journalists started scrolling through my kid's Instagram account. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Crazy Happy People Way Kid Out Folks Object Touched Through Instagram Journalists Read Sort Became Came Account Bunch Discussed So Many People Certain Less Many Started
I never expected my writing to become as popular as it did. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Writing Become Never Expected Did Popular
Long view of history shows evil triumphing more often than we'd like to admit. That's just how it is. I don't despair too much about dying, either. It's just a fact of being human. Ta-Nehisi Coates
History Too Much Evil Long Too Despair Admit About More Fact Like How Than Often Human Just Being Dying Either Being Human Much View Shows
I think it's really important to be conscious of yourself and the world around you. For me, that meant reading a lot and reporting. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Me You Yourself World Important Reading Think Around Lot Reporting Really Meant Conscious
I don't know that white people need to be 'allies' so much as understand that any black struggle in America is ultimately a struggle for the large country. 'Ally' presumes a kind of distance that I am not sure exists. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Struggle People Black Country White Distance Kind Allies Ally Know Sure Understand Am Ultimately Exists America Any Much Large Need
I guess I'd be put in the ID politics camp. But there is really nothing in the world-view of, say, Bernie Sanders I actually disagree with. I'd like a guaranteed income, single-payer health care, a stronger safety net, etc. The problem is the temptation to paper over historically fraught issues to achieve that is tempting. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Politics Health Problem Disagree Safety Achieve Care Stronger Nothing Guess Paper Say Bernie Sanders Fraught Net Temptation Tempting Put ID Over Like Health Care Safety Net Issues Camp Historically Etc Really Income Actually Guaranteed
I think 'Dear White People,' the show, is a tremendous artistic achievement. It's always hinting that there is something beyond the pleading and wokeness, something that the show's more militant characters can't see. Ta-Nehisi Coates
Achievement People White Think Pleading Tremendous Characters See Something More Beyond Always Dear Artistic Show Militant
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