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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 only inaugaration question that matters

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Dec 19 2008, 9:00 AM ET Comment

Has been asked by Jelani:

I'm starting to wonder if Barack is going to kick off the Electric Slide on the National Mall after the inaugural. The combination of Joseph Lowery, Aretha Franklin and Elizabeth Alexander is almost enough to make me think this will be somewhere between a grand state function and the Image Awards.
This really is the question of the day. I'm thinking about the ball. Are these cats gonna bust out the line dancing? Better yet, are they gonna go straight South Side and start stepping? This almost makes me want to be there. Almost.


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