Paul Coates (publisher) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Coates
Coates at the 2024 National Book Awards
Born	William Paul Coates (1946-07-04) July 4, 1946 (age 79) West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Education	Antioch University; Atlanta University
Occupation	Publisher, printer and community activist
Organization	Black Classic Press (founder)
Children	7, incl. Ta-Nehisi Coates (son)
Awards	Dorothy Porter Wesley Award; Lord Nose Award; Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community

William Paul Coates (born July 4, 1946) is an American publisher, printer, and community activist. In 1978, he started the Black Classic Press (BCP). This company focuses on publishing important books for people of African descent, especially books that were no longer being printed. He also created a printing company called BCP Digital Printing in 1995. He is the father of the well-known author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Paul Coates's Early Life and Activism

Growing Up and Joining the Army

William Paul Coates was born in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents were Edna Coates and Douglas Cryor. He left high school early and joined the U.S. Army. While in the army, he faced unfair treatment. However, he also discovered the book Black Boy by Richard Wright. This book led him to find other important Black writers like Malcolm X, Dick Gregory, and James Baldwin. In 1965, Coates went to serve in Vietnam. He worked there as a military policeman with a K-9 dog unit. He left the army in 1967.

Becoming a Community Activist

After returning to the U.S., Coates settled in Baltimore, Maryland. He started volunteering with the Black Panther Party's breakfast program. He became a defense captain for the Baltimore Black Panthers. In this role, he managed all Panther activities in Maryland. This included setting up free clothing, free food, and housing help programs. He left the organization in 1971.

Starting the Black Classic Press

In 1972, Coates and other activists created the George Jackson Prison Movement. Their goal was to bring Afrocentric books to people in prison. They wanted to help "retrieve the souls and minds of the incarcerated." This program was run from a bookstore called The Black Book. Coates and another former Panther opened this store in 1973.

Later, in 1978, he focused on starting the Black Classic Press (BCP). This company was created to "preserve the collective story of African-American people." It began in the basement of his home. The first books were pamphlets printed on a photocopier. Over many years, BCP became one of the longest-running African-American book publishers. It is similar to Haki Madhubuti's Third World Press.

Education and Career Milestones

Continuing His Education

Coates used the G.I. Bill to go to college. This program helps veterans pay for their education. In 1979, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He studied community development at Antioch University in Baltimore. Then, in 1980, he earned a master's degree in library science from Atlanta University.

After finishing school, he worked at Howard University's Moorland–Spingarn Research Center. He stayed there until 1991. He also helped edit a book called Black Bibliophiles and Collectors: Preservers of Black History in 1990.

Expanding into Digital Printing

In 1995, Coates started BCP Digital Printing. This company specializes in printing small numbers of books. In 2018, he mentioned that BCP Digital Printing was one of the only Black book printing companies in the country.

Publishing Important Works

A big moment for BCP happened in 1997. The famous author Walter Mosley allowed BCP to publish his novel Gone Fishin. Mosley chose an independent Black publisher and did not take his usual large payment. This book became one of BCP's most successful titles. It sold over 100,000 copies.

BCP has published works by many important authors. These include John Henrik Clarke, E. Ethelbert Miller, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Bobby Seale. BCP focuses on books that are important to people of African descent. Coates explains BCP's goal: "We began publishing because we wanted to extend the memory of what we believe are important books that have helped in meaningful ways to shape the Black diasporic experience and our understanding of the world."

Coates is also a founding member and chairman of the National Association of Black Book Publishers. He has taught African American Studies at Sojourner-Douglass College in Baltimore.

Awards and Recognition

Honoring His Contributions

In 2018, Paul Coates received the first Dorothy Porter Wesley Award. This award came from the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). It recognizes excellent work by people who manage information, like librarians and collectors.

In 2020, the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) gave Coates their Lord Nose Award. This award celebrates a lifetime of work in publishing books.

In 2024, Coates received the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation. This award is for outstanding service to the American literary community. David Steinberger, who leads the National Book Foundation, said that Coates has found many important Black literature works. He added that Coates has been a great example of a community-focused publisher and a strong supporter of Black writers and books since the 1970s. Walter Mosley presented the award to Coates on November 20, 2024.

Personal Life

Coates has seven biological children. He also has two stepchildren from his third marriage to Rosalyn Wilcots Coates in 2010. His son, Ta-Nehisi, wrote a book about growing up with his father. The book, The Beautiful Struggle, was published in 2008.

In the Los Angeles Times, Lynell George described the book. She said that his father's presence was very strong. His father taught him to be aware of the world and to learn lessons that would help him. His father's main rule was: "I'm not here to be your friend. My job is to get you through. To make you conscious of the world around you. To teach lessons that can carry over."

A 2020 book called The Brother You Choose: Paul Coates and Eddie Conway Talk About Life, Politics, and The Revolution explores a friendship. It tells the story of Coates's friendship with Eddie Conway. Conway was a former Black Panther Party member who was wrongly imprisoned for over 40 years. Coates visited him often to support him until Conway was released in 2014.