Ta-Nehisi Coates

What We’re Reading: The Water Dancer

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ upcoming first novel is a piece of fiction set in the world of the Underground Railroad.

How Should Universities Atone for Their Past Mistakes?

Higher-education institutions are acknowledging their histories of slavery and discrimination.

Solitary Confinement Through the Eyes of a Former Prisoner

Hear what former prisoner Shaka Senghor, who was incarcerated for 19 years and now directs strategy for the bipartisan initiative #cut50, has to say about President Barack Obama’s recent pledge to end solitary confinement for juveniles and low-level offenders.

Ta-Nehisi Coates and Mayor Mitch Landrieu Discuss Whether Violence Is a Function of Culture or the Consequence of History

Landrieu and Coates are both eager to address this issue, but they each had very different ideas about the nature of the problem and how it could be resolved.

Conversation with Ta-Nehisi Coates and Alex Kotlowitz

Journalist Alex Kotlowitz interviewed at the 2014 Washington Ideas Forum.

Ta-Nehisi Coates: “Players Own the Game”

Athletes demand more respect than they once did, says Ta-Nehisi Coates. Fans are more likely to see actions through the eyes of players.

Post Racial America: Is Obama a Symbol of the New American Dilemma?

Has America’s racial destiny been fulfilled with the election of the nation’s first black president?