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 78) West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Education	Antioch University; Clark 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 helper. He is known for starting the Black Classic Press (BCP) in 1978. This company publishes important books by and about people of African descent. Many of these books were hard to find before.

In 1995, he also started BCP Digital Printing, a company that prints books. Paul Coates is the father of the famous writer and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Paul Coates' Early Life and Journey

W. 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 some challenges. He also discovered many great Black writers. These included Richard Wright, Malcolm X, Dick Gregory, and James Baldwin.

In 1965, Coates served in Vietnam. He worked as a military policeman with a K-9 dog unit. He was discharged from the Army in 1967 after 18 months.

Becoming a Community Activist

After returning to the U.S., Coates moved to Baltimore, Maryland. He started volunteering with the Black Panther Party. He helped with their free breakfast program for kids.

He became a leader in the Baltimore Black Panthers. He helped manage all their activities in Maryland. This included programs for free clothing, food, and housing. He left the organization in 1971.

In 1972, Coates and other activists started the George Jackson Prison Movement. Their goal was to bring Afrocentric books to people in prison. They wanted to help prisoners learn and grow.

This program was run from a bookstore called The Black Book. Coates and another former Panther opened it in 1973.

Founding Black Classic Press

In 1978, Paul Coates started the Black Classic Press (BCP). This company was created to save and share the stories of African-American people. It began in the basement of his home.

At first, BCP printed small books using a photocopier. Over many years, BCP grew. It became one of the longest-running African-American book publishers. Another well-known publisher is Haki Madhubuti's Third World Press.

Education and Further Work

Coates used the G.I. Bill to go to college. The G.I. Bill helps veterans pay for their education. He earned a degree in community development in 1979 from Antioch University in Baltimore.

Then, he earned a master's degree in library science in 1980 from Clark Atlanta University. After college, he worked at Howard University's Moorland–Spingarn Research Center until 1991.

He also helped edit a book called Black Bibliophiles and Collectors: Preservers of Black History. It was published in 1990.

BCP Digital Printing and Key Publications

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

A big moment for BCP happened in 1997. The famous author Walter Mosley allowed BCP to publish his novel Gone Fishin'. Mosley chose BCP, a smaller Black publisher, and did not ask for a 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, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Bobby Seale. BCP focuses on important and sometimes hard-to-find books by and about 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 leader of the National Association of Black Book Publishers. He has taught African American Studies at Sojourner-Douglass College in Baltimore.

Awards and Recognition

In 2018, Paul Coates received the first Dorothy Porter Wesley Award. This award honors people who do great work in the information field. This includes librarians, archivists, 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 and magazines.

In 2024, Coates received the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation. This award recognizes outstanding service to the American literary community.

David Steinberger, who leads the National Book Foundation, said that Coates has found and shared many important Black literature works. He added that Coates has been a community-focused publisher and a strong supporter of Black writers since the 1970s. Walter Mosley presented the award to Coates on November 20.

Paul Coates' Family Life

Paul Coates has seven biological children. He also has two step-children from his third marriage in 2010.

His son, Ta-Nehisi Coates, wrote a well-known book about growing up with his father. The book is called The Beautiful Struggle (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 important lessons about the world. His father's main rule was: "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, The Brother You Choose, explores the friendship between Paul Coates and Eddie Conway. Eddie Conway was a former friend from the Black Panther Party. Coates visited Conway in prison for many years. Conway was released in 2014.

Images for kids

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  Coates at the 2024 National Book Awards