Ta-Nehisi Coates

To be black in the Baltimore of my youth was to be naked before the elements of the world.

'White America' is a syndicate arrayed to protect its exclusive power to dominate and control our bodies.

Long view of history shows evil triumphing more often than we'd like to admit. That's just how it is. I don't despair too much about dying, either. It's just a fact of being human.

Black people have been fighting for basic citizenship rights since the inception of the country.

There was no United States before slavery. I am sure somebody can make some sort of argument about modern French identity and slavery and North Africa, but there simply is no American history before black people.

If you are attempting to study American history, and you don't understand the force of white supremacy, you fundamentally misunderstand America.

For me, my writing benefits from my experience.

My belief is in the chaos of the world and that you have to find your peace within the chaos and that you still have to find some sort of mission.

You can live in the world of myth and be taken seriously.