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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.

Oscar Grant

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Jan 8 2009, 2:32 PM ET Comment

Don't know if you guys are following this, but a cop in Oakland was caught on tape shooting a man--who later died--while he was face down. The tape is below. The worst part of it all is, unlike in some other cases, this doesn't look a tragic misunderstanding or mistake. The cop simply pulls out his gun and shoots the dude. See for yourselves. The officer has since resigned, lawyered up, and skipped a meeting with investigators. I expect we'll soon be hearing explanations like "the gun summoned itself to the officers waist, unholstered itself and discharged." Meanwhile, protests have turned violent. Postracial, indeed.



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