Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates Headshot

Writer

Birth Date: September 30, 1975

Age: 47 years old

Birth Place: Baltimore, Maryland

Raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Ta-Nehisi Coates was destined to be an activist. Born in 1975, he grew up with his mother, a teacher, as the breadwinner of the family. His father, a former Black Panther, took on the duties of child rearing while running Black Classic Press, which published books regarding African-American studies. The name Ta-Nehisi is the ancient Egyptian word for Nubia. After graduating from high school, Coates enrolled in historically-black Howard University, in Washington, DC, but didn't graduate, instead opting to pursue a career in journalism. As such, he worked for the Village Voice, The Washington City Post, and Time, in addition to contributing to the New York Times Magazine and the Washington Post, among others. In 2008, Coates published his first memoir, The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood. The book told the story of Coates's upbringing in Baltimore during the crack epidemic. In 2013, Coates was awarded the National Magazine Award for Essays and Criticism for his piece "Fear of a Black President," which appeared in The Atlantic, where he was Senior Editor. In 2014, his piece "The Case for Reparations" for the same publication won the George Polk Award for Commentary. His second book, Between the World and Me was released in July 2015 and went to #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List. The book, structured as a letter to Coates's teenage son about growing up black in America, was called an instant classic; novelist Toni Morrison declared it "required reading."

Credits

CBS Mornings

Guest
TV Show
2021

Free Renty: Lanier v. Harvard

Self
Movie
2021

Between the World and Me Podcast

Guest
TV Show
2020

Between the World and MeStream

Executive Producer
TV Show
2020
95%

Between the World and Me: Extras

Actor
TV Show
2020

Oprah's Book Club

Guest
TV Show
2019

Desus & MeroStream

Guest
TV Show
2019

The ApolloStream

Self
Movie
2019
95%

Monologue

Actor
TV Show
2017

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library

Actor
Movie
2017

The Daily Show With Trevor Noah: Global Edition

Guest
TV Show
2016

The Daily Show With Trevor NoahStream

Guest
TV Show
2015

The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

Guest
TV Show
2015

Late Night With Seth MeyersStream

Guest
TV Show
2014

Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.Stream

Guest
TV Show
2012

Moyers & Company

Guest
TV Show
2012

CBS This Morning

Guest
TV Show
2012

The Colbert Report

Guest
TV Show
2005

Real Time With Bill MaherStream

Guest
TV Show
2003

The Daily Show With Jon StewartStream

Guest
TV Show
1999

Religion & Ethics Newsweekly

Guest
TV Show
1997

The View

Guest
TV Show
1997

Charlie Rose

Guest
TV Show
1991

CBS News Sunday Morning

Guest
TV Show
1979

TodayStream

Guest
TV Show
1952