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It was made that way. And what you have is a system in which people are there to be exploited.

Ta-Nehisi Coates

The best part of writing is not the communication of knowledge to other people, but the acquisition and synthesizing of knowledge for oneself.
TA-NEHISI COATES

Acquisition Best Communication Knowledge Other People Writing
Humans also tend to find community to be pleasurable, and within the boundaries of community relationships, words.
TA-NEHISI COATES

Boundary Community Human Ironic Pleasurable Relationship Self Word
And I think, like, there’s a crucial difference between being, you know, Joe Schmo in the neighborhood and being the head, you know, of the government that, you know, in many ways is largely responsible for those conditions in the first place.
TA-NEHISI COATES

Always Between Condition Difference First Government Head Many Neighbourhood Place Responsible Schmo Way
What sets black people apart is not some deficit in personal responsibility. It’s the weight on our shoulders. That is what’s actually different. We have the weight and burden of history.
TA-NEHISI COATES

Apart Black Deficit People Personal Responsibility Some
[Winning the White House was an achievement], but as an African-American, [Barack Obama], I think the symbolism is in how he conducted himself.
TA-NEHISI COATES

Achievement Country House Symbolism Think Thinking White Winning
The unearned skepticism of one group of humans joined to the unearned sympathy for another.
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Another Group Human Join One Skepticism Sympathy Unlearn
I think, as a writer, I’m in my own head.
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Head Own Thinking Writer
All you need to understand is that the officer carries with him the power of the American state and the weight of an American legacy.
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Black Country Legacy Need Numbers Offer Power State Understand Weight Year
And I think that’s reflected in the fact that, when we have problems that really are problems of employment, that are really problems of mental health, that are really problems of drugs, our answer is the police.
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Answer Employment Fact Health Poice Problem Really Reflect
Just because you came here in 1880, 1950, whenever, you became an American. You get to celebrate July 4th like every other American.
TA-NEHISI COATES

Become Celebrate Celebration Country Day July
It was a week after Donald Trump had won. And initially he was still optimistic. He felt that things would be OK ultimately. And I have to tell you, this is the area where, you know, I see, you know, some degree of contradiction.
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After Believe Country Optimistic People Person President Running Won
When nonviolence begins halfway through the war with the aggressor calling time out, it exposes itself as a ruse.
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Aggressor Calling Expose Halfway Itself Nonviolence Ruse Time War
Is the Jewish race thriftier than the Arab race?
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Country Jewish People Peron Race Thriftier
[Donald Trump] went on to, you know, otherize Muslims, otherize Latinos, otherize women, that he built out from that. And it can be true that a unique, you know, individual like Barack Obama can succeed in spite of that and still be the case that that force is quite, quite strong.
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Built Country Know Muslim Out Person President Strong Succeed Unique
It was made that way. And what you have is a system in which people are there to be exploited.
TA-NEHISI COATES

Exploiter Made People Some
This feeling African-Americans have, this skepticism towards the police and the skepticism that the police show towards African-Americans is actually quite old. And it may be one of the most durable aspects of the relationship between black people and their country really in our history.
TA-NEHISI COATES

Country Feel Many People Person Police Skepticism Towards

It was made that way. And what you have is a system in which people are there to be exploited.

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It was made that way. And what you have is a system in which people are there to be exploited.

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Popular Authors

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