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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.

Waterboard Barack Obama

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Oct 15 2008, 12:58 PM ET Comment

To avoid lapping over with Andrew, I'm just going to refer you guys to him. It isn't some fool in a crowd. It isn't a lunatic with a monkey doll. It's our thug-life in action, pure and simple. Say it with me children--They are who we thought they were. And as they get closer to the end of a noxious chapter on our history, they show themselves to be the same cowards they were in Philadelphia in 80, with Willie Horton in 88, with hands in 90, with Sista Souljah in 92, with McCain's love-child in 2000. They are who we thought they were. And I think their time has come.

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