I think the president [Barack Obama] adopted some of that same language, but took it into the White House.
TA-NEHISI COATES
TA-NEHISI COATES
Ta-Nehisi Coates on language
Ta-Nehisi Coates77 quotes“I think the president [Barack Obama] adopted some of that same language, but took it into the White House.”
More from Ta-Nehisi Coates
I mean, the president, you know, at one point when he was campaigning said I believe that Donald Trump was not qualified to run a 7-Eleven.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates If George Washington crossing the Delaware matters, so must his ruthless pursuit of the runagate Oney Judge.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates [Grew up in Hawaii] that gave [Barack Obama] a kind of optimism, an ability to see things, you know, and frankly, an ability to trust, you know, in his fellow, you know, white countrymen in a way that I, for instance, you know, and the vast majority of black people I know never really could.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates The progressive approach to policy which directly addresses the effects of white supremacy is simple.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates To prevent verifying stereotypes, we pledge to never eat a slice a watermelon in front of white people.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates I’m asking you as an American to see all of the freedoms that you enjoy and see how they are rooted in things that the country you belong to condoned or actively participated in the past.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates Is the Jewish race thriftier than the Arab race?
Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates 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.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates [Barack Obama] grew up in Hawaii, far, far removed from the most, you know, sort of violent, you know, tendencies of Jim Crow and segregation. He wasn’t directly exposed to that. He was untraumatized.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates You know, the thing I always think about, you get up early in the morning to go to work and there’s some dude outside drinking and you come home and the same dude is outside drinking hanging on the corner. And then this engenders a level of anger I think and a level of shame.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates Two hundred fifty years of slavery. Ninety years of Jim Crow. Sixty years of separate but equal.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates I don’t know how you bridge that contradiction, but I felt that Barack Obama was sincere. It didn’t feel like a line to me.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates I think President [Barack] Obama deeply underestimated the force of white supremacy in American life.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates I think the sad fact is, there’s a long history in this country at looking at African-American as subhuman.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates Never forget that for 250 years black people were born into chains-whole generations followed by more generations who knew nothing but chains.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates My mom used to tell me, I can’t use this phrase on the radio – but basically don’t be one of those dudes hanging on the corner.
Ta-Nehisi CoatesTa-Nehisi Coates
Original quotes
From our community writers
Poetry is the voice of the soul and the inspiration of the heart.
Teresa PeresTeresa Peres But it was now time for her to go away-to find someone who could show her what happiness was.
Lang LeavLang Leav Just because you haven’t seen how wonderful, beautiful, and special she is, doesn’t mean no one else will.
Norah RoseNorah Rose A memory is a star or a stain.
Aneena BijuAneena Biju Love her, but don’t forget to leave her wild.
Little PaulsonLittle Paulson Do your own thing and live your way of happiness.
Emily BockEmily Bock I’ve experienced departure far too much to have the courage and call anyone my own.
Mira R. AridiMira R. Aridi More often than I am not, all I need is the rise of my own lungs – I am already complete.
Shelby EnsignShelby Ensign
Meet the writers
More on language
I guess we all understand the love language fine; but maybe truth is we’re just too fluent in goodbyes.
Odd KenOdd Ken When one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language.
John DonneJohn Donne No fear or shame in the dignity of your experience, language, and knowledge.
Jack KerouacJack Kerouac Bad language is a stage all children go through, and it dies with time when they learn they’re not attracting attention with it.
Harper LeeHarper Lee No; I did not hate him. The word is too weak. There is no word in the language strong enough to describe my feelings. I can say only that I knew the gnawing of a desire for vengeance on him that was a pain in itself and that exceeded all the bounds of language.
Jack LondonJack London The word is too weak. There is no word in the language strong enough to describe my feelings.
Jack LondonJack London An alcoholic father, poverty, my own juvenile diabetes, the limited English my parents spoke – although my mother has become completely bilingual since. All these things intrude on what most people think of as happiness.
Sonia SotomayorSonia Sotomayor Boy, those French: they have a different word for everything!
Steve MartinSteve Martin