Ta-Nehisi Coates facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ta-Nehisi Coates
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Coates in 2015
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Ta-Nehisi Paul Coates
September 30, 1975 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
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| Education | Howard University |
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Notable work
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| Spouse(s) | Kenyatta Matthews |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) | Cheryl Lynn Coates (née Waters) William Paul Coates |
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Ta-Nehisi Paul Coates (born September 30, 1975) is an American writer and journalist. He is known for writing about important cultural, social, and political topics. He often focuses on issues affecting African Americans.
Coates became well-known while working as a national correspondent for The Atlantic magazine. In 2015, he received a special award called a MacArthur Fellowship. This award is given to talented people who show great creativity.
He has written several nonfiction books. These include The Beautiful Struggle (2008), Between the World and Me (2015), and The Message (2024). Between the World and Me won the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction. Coates has also written comic books for Marvel Comics, including series for Black Panther and Captain America. His first novel, The Water Dancer, was published in 2019.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ta-Nehisi Coates was born in Baltimore, Maryland. His father, William Paul Coates, was a Vietnam War veteran and a publisher. His mother, Cheryl Lynn Coates, was a teacher. Ta-Nehisi's first name comes from an ancient Egyptian language name for Nubia. Nubia is a region along the Nile River.
Coates's father started a publishing company called Black Classic Press. This company focused on books by African-American authors. The company began in the basement of their family home. Coates grew up reading many of the books his father published. He also enjoyed comic books and playing Dungeons & Dragons.
Coates went to several schools in Baltimore. He later attended Howard University, a historically Black university. He studied there for five years before starting his career in journalism.
Writing Career
Journalism Work
Coates started his journalism career at The Washington City Paper. From 2000 to 2007, he wrote for various magazines. These included Philadelphia Weekly, The Village Voice, and Time.
His article "This Is How We Lost to the White Man" for The Atlantic helped him become more successful. He then got a regular column and a popular blog for the magazine. His blog covered topics like politics, history, and culture.
Coates's writings on race were highly praised. His article "The Case for Reparations" (2014) was especially well-known. This article discussed the history of housing discrimination in the United States. It won him the 2014 George Polk Award. Coates left The Atlantic in 2018 after working there for ten years.
He has also written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and O, The Oprah Magazine.
Books by Coates
The Beautiful Struggle
In 2008, Coates published The Beautiful Struggle. This book is a memoir, which means it's a story about his own life. It describes growing up in West Baltimore. He writes about his father's influence and his experiences in school. The book also talks about how he became a thinker and a writer.
Between the World and Me
Coates's second book, Between the World and Me, came out in 2015. It is written as a letter to his son, Samori. The book explores what it means to be Black in America. It discusses the challenges and experiences faced by African Americans. This book won the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction. It was also a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.
Comic Book Series
In 2016, Coates began writing for Marvel Comics. He wrote the Black Panther series. The first issue was very popular, selling many copies. In his Black Panther stories, he explored themes of leadership and change in the fictional nation of Wakanda. He also wrote a spinoff series called Black Panther and the Crew.
Later, in 2018, Coates started writing for the Captain America series. He worked with artists Leinil Yu and Alex Ross on this project.
We Were Eight Years in Power
In 2017, Coates released We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy. This book is a collection of essays he had previously published. It focuses on the time when Barack Obama was president. Coates added new essays to connect the older ones. The title comes from a quote by a 19th-century African-American congressman.
The Water Dancer
Coates's first novel, The Water Dancer, was published in 2019. It is a story set during the time of slavery. The main character, Hiram Walker, has a special memory. He can also transport people long distances in a unique way. The book was chosen for Oprah's Book Club.
The Message
Coates's most recent nonfiction book, The Message, was published in 2024. In this book, he shares his thoughts from visits to different places. These places include Dakar, Senegal, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The book explores his observations and feelings about these experiences.
Teaching and Other Projects
Coates has also taught at several universities. He was a visiting scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also taught at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and New York University. In 2021, he joined the faculty at Howard University.
Coates has worked on other creative projects too. He is involved in a television project about Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. This project is produced by Oprah Winfrey for HBO. He is also set to adapt an article into a feature film.
In 2021, it was announced that Coates was writing a script for a new Superman movie. This project is still in development.
Views on Important Issues
Coates often shares his thoughts on important social issues. He has discussed how white identity in the United States affects how some people view political changes related to African Americans.
He has also spoken about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He has compared the separation between Palestinians and Israeli settlers in some areas to Jim Crow laws that existed in the Southern United States.
Personal Life
Ta-Nehisi Coates lives with his wife, Kenyatta Matthews, and their son, Samori Maceo-Paul Coates. His son's name honors historical figures like Samori Ture and Antonio Maceo Grajales, as well as Coates's father. Coates met his wife when they were both students at Howard University. He identifies as an atheist and a feminist.
Awards and Recognition
- 2012: Hillman Prize for Opinion and Analysis Journalism
- 2013: National Magazine Award for Essays and Criticism
- 2014: George Polk Award for Commentary
- 2015: Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Prize for Writing to Advance Social Justice
- 2015: National Book Award for Nonfiction for Between the World and Me
- 2015: Fellow of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
- 2015: Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction for Between the World and Me
- 2018: Dayton Literary Peace Prize in Nonfiction for We Were Eight Years in Power
- 2018: Eisner Award for Best Limited Series, for Black Panther: World of Wakanda
- 2020: British Fantasy Society Sydney J. Bounds Award for The Water Dancer
See also
In Spanish: Ta-Nehisi Coates para niños
