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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.

It's always tragic to be black

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Aug 6 2008, 1:00 PM ET Comment

Even when you try to eat healthier. Damned if you reach for the fried chicken, damned if you reach for the baked whiting. I'm not sure what media wants to happen here. It's been barely two years since the Times ran a series lamenting the incredible diabetes rates in East Harlem. Now they run a story lamenting the decline of ham hocks and red velvet cake. This game is rigged--either you play the tragic Negro, or you get ignored. You choose.

There is of course the gentrification angle, but that doesn't really explain much--Harlem is still overwhelmingly black. The diet change deal started years ago, when soul food joints started cooking their greens with turkey wings, and baked chicken became the move. Personally, I miss Ahira's. 116th and Lenox cats know what I'm talking about,


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