Ta-Nehisi Coates Talks Race Relations at JFK Forum

Ta-Nehisi Coates, a national correspondent for The Atlantic and the author of the New York Times bestselling book “Between the World and Me,” discussed African American heritage and contemporary race issues such as mass incarceration before a packed John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum on Wednesday night.

Coates is the recipient of several awards for his work on the social, economic, and political issues facing African Americans today. This year, he was a recipient of the 2015 MacArthur Genius Award, and “Between the World and Me” is a finalist for the National Book Award in nonfiction.

Coates joined moderator Bruce Western, a sociology professor, and panelists Kathryn J. Edin, a professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard University professor William Julius Wilson.

Coates focused his talk on the systematic issues that African Americans face, which he said are rooted in the different heritages of black and white people.

In particular, Coates addressed the issue of mass incarceration in the United States, noting that while the U.S. comprises just 5 percent of the world’s population, it accounts for roughly 25 percent of incarcerated people worldwide.

“We are at a level of incarceration in our country that is historically different and geographically different in terms of the rest of the world,” Coates said.

Although he acknowledged that conditions have improved over the past century, Coates said he believes that the deep rooted socio-economic issues facing African Americans will not change unless major action is taken. He said he supports government reparations to African Americans to help reverse this inequality.

“It’s not enough to just stop wounding someone, but you actually have to heal someone and do something about the harm that you produced,” Coates said.

In a question-and-answer session after the discussion, a student asked Coates about his thoughts on the recent tension between students and administrators over issues of race at Yale. Hundreds of students marched around the New Haven campus earlier this week in the wake of allegations that a fraternity had held a party for “white girls only” and controversy over an email that a residential college administrator—Erika Christakis, the former co-master of Harvard’s Pforzheimer House—sent students about Halloween costumes that are considered culturally insensitive.

Coates said he did not have enough information to comment on the situation at Yale, but said he he suspects that the tensions there have been building over time and that the current reactions are not pegged to only a singular event.

Several attendees said they found the talk thought-provoking. Joseph P. Andorful, a student completing a joint program at the Wharton School of Business and the Kennedy School, said he appreciated the candidness with which Coates spoke.

“I thought it was an excellent forum. I really appreciate the way Ta-Nehisi speaks from the heart and doesn’t sugarcoat his comments,” Andorful said. “I appreciate the way he is willing to put himself out there and share a position that may not be popular.”