Between the World and Me
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF TA-NEHISI COATES
Ta-Nehisi Coates was born to Cheryl Waters and Paul Coates, a former local captain of the Black Panther Party and founder of Black Classic Press. The name Ta-Nehisi comes from an Egyptian word for Nubia, which roughly translates to “land of the black.” Coates had seven siblings on his father’s side; his parents were strict and attentive, and his mother taught him to read at the age of four. Coates grew up during the crack epidemic, attending public schools in West Baltimore. He recalls that his middle school in particular was extremely violent, and that during these years he had to be especially careful in order to protect himself. Following high school, Coates attended Howard University, where his father worked as a research librarian. During his time at Howard, Coates began to work as a freelance journalist. It was during this time that he also met his future spouse, Kenyatta Matthews. After five years at Howard Coates left without graduating, and when they were both 24 he and Kenyatta had a son, Samori. Coates began publishing his journalism in a variety of outlets, including The Village Voice, Time, and The New York Times. He became a regular columnist for The Atlantic, a position he holds to this day, and it is in this forum that some of his most well-known essays have been published, including “The Case for Reparations” and an essay version of “Between the World and Me.” In 2008, Coates published a memoir that focused particularly on his youth and his relationship with his father entitled The Beautiful Struggle. This was followed by Between the World and Me, published in 2015. Coates has been awarded numerous awards, including a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship in 2015. He has taught at the City University of New York and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He travels frequently to Paris, and otherwise resides in Prospect Lefferts Gardens in Brooklyn, NY, with Kenyatta and Samori.