Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Visionary
The future, and what is barely possible, reads round the next corner.
Ta-Nehisi Coates is a prominent author and journalist known for his insightful commentary on race, culture, and politics. This interview reveals his ability to envision a more equitable future while addressing the historical and systemic challenges that shape contemporary America.
“Because it was just, I mean, I didn't know what I had in my hands. I didn't understand the opportunity. I didn't realize this was not normal for somebody to be 20 years old and somebody say, go write. 8,000 words on local, hyper-local government in Washington, D.C., but make it really interesting. I mean, I just, I had no.”
“Yeah, because I think I came in the city paper with a particular ability to write in the first person really well. But that was not enough to hold a job there. You had to learn how to report and thus had to learn how to tell other people's stories.”
“Yeah, some years later after that, you know, I had to lose a few more jobs before that. But yeah, I did. I did. I did. And I started on my own. And my dad... Know what kick me a little bit of money for it.”
“Yeah, and I think I'm pretty good at that. You know what I like? I like watching. I don't like being the center. I like seeing. I like, you know. I was telling a buddy of mine. I took a trip down to South Beach. And I loved watching the insanity down there and the people parade and the 60-year-old dudes with 30-year-old women.”
The Axe Files with David Axelrod — Best of The Axe Files: Ta-Nehisi Coates
LISTEN AT THE SOURCE ↗THE RECORD IS CHECKABLE