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Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore—not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-’90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.

Bets on Obama's NAACP speech?

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Jul 14 2008, 9:21 AM ET Comment

So he's addressing the NAACP convention tonight. It's tough for me to see him redoing his fatherhood speech again. I think that would be overplaying his hand incredibly. It's good to be seen as the guy who's the anti-Sharpton, but I think that has diminishing returns. Another "Obama Chastises Teh Blacks" headline won't help, and will really begin to make this thing look cynical. I'm sure they'll be some nods to "personal responsibility," but I'd be really suprised if he doesn't lean on the structural reforms he's outlined in his platform.



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