Ta-Nehisi Coates: A Fresh Look at the Democratic Primary

 

Ta-Nehisi Coates is a writer who also happens to be a native son. He was born and raised in Baltimore and is the son of Paul Coates, creator of Black Classic Press and one of the leaders of the Black Panther movement in Baltimore in the late '60s and early '70s. But his lineage is not why Marc invited him for an interview. It was his article in The Nation magazine, in which he argued that, despite all the punditry about how Barack Obama represents post-racial politics, he is actually "the blackest man to take the public stage ever."  In another part of the article, Coates says, "If elected, surely Obama will be the first President to greet foreign dignitaries with a pound. "

How could we pass up a chance to explore that idea?  Marc and Te-Nehisi also talked about Bill Cosby (a subject Ta-Nehisi wrote about in a recent issue of The Atlantic), Al Sharpton, Hillary Clinton, and much more.

Running time is 34 minutes. Enjoy, and let us know what you think.  Don't forget to check out Ta-Nehisi's blog and his recently released book The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood.