Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates is a renowned American journalist, author, and educator. He is best known for his critically acclaimed books and pieces which often explore political, social, and cultural themes related to race, justice, and history. His work has won him many awards including the National Book Award, MacArthur Fellowship, Frederick Douglas Award, and a long list of other recognitions.

Ta-Nehisi Coates was born in Baltimore in 1975 and grew up in primarily poor and predominately African American neighborhoods. After graduating from Woodlawn High School, he attended Howard University from 1993 to 1995 before dropping out to devote himself to writing. During this time, Ta-Nehisi established himself as a freelance journalist, contributing articles to The Village Voice, The Source, and other publications. He also covered Tupac Shakur’s death for The Washington Post and later wrote an extended series of articles called “The Death of Frederic Douglas.”

In 2008, Ta-Nehisi wrote his first book, The Beautiful Struggle. A semi-autobiographical work, The Beautiful Struggle follows the life of a young African American boy growing up in the mid-1980s, a time of complexity and enormous change. Ta-Nehisi wrote candidly and insightfully about the struggles of his childhood, his relationship with his father, his school experiences, and his journey to adulthood. The book was praised for its deeply personal and honest style.

In 2014, Ta-Nehisi released his critically acclaimed second book, Between the World and Me. A letter to his son, Between the World and Me is a deeply personal exploration of race in America from the vantage point of an intelligent, yet highly vulnerable African American man. Celebrated for its insightfulness and directness, Between the World and Me won the National Book Award, the Kirkus Prize for Non-Fiction, the Heartland Prize for Nonfiction, the Hillman Prize for Opinion and Analysis Journalism, and even reached the New York Times bestseller list.

In 2016, Ta-Nehisi released his third work, We Were Eight Years in Power. Composed largely of essays previously published in The Atlantic, We Were Eight Years in Power is Ta-Nehisi’s musings on Obama’s eight years in office, the aftermath of his landmark victory, and the societal issues at stake during this period. Through his often-brutal honesty, Ta-Nehisi explores themes of racism, self-righteousness, and liberation while pushing readers to confront their own racial biases.

In addition to his works of fiction and non-fiction, Ta-Nehisi has also served on the faculty of several universities, a testament to his intelligence, insightfulness, and commitment to education. He has taught a variety of classes at Mason University, New York University, MIT, and more.

Ta-Nehisi Coates is one of the most influential African American writers of our time. He’s been praised for his often-candid and often-controversial works which challenge us to consider our place in history, our society's shortcomings, and the fights which lie ahead of us if we are to achieve true justice and equality. With many works already in the books and many more to come, Ta-Nehisi Coates will certainly be a force in the American literary landscape for years to come.