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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.

The indelible soulfulness of Bob Barr

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Jul 24 2008, 12:00 PM ET Comment

Now this is interesting. As a commenter mentioned, Bob Barr was accused of yelling racial slurs at a security guard a few years back. Usually those sorts of accusations will get you accused of being racist. But when you're in my cross-hairs and you've got the visage of Bob Barr, they get you accused of being black. It isn't just that accusation, it's also the fact that Barr apparently gets really pissed-off when people ask him that he's black. Who'd get mad about that? People in NY start speaking Spanish to me all the time, apparently thinking I'm Puerto-Rican. I wouldn't get pissed...unless....

I tell you a smell a conspiracy. It's really coincidental that Bob Barr will be taking votes from McCain, thus helping us elect a black man. Isn't that kinda funny?



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