In Kent Lecture, award-winning author traces attacks on democracy to legacy of slavery, racism
For Ta-Nehisi Coates, writing is a way of telling the truth boldly without coddling the reader, but not without offering hope.
That means acknowledging the brutal legacy of slavery and Black oppression, both throughout American history and today. It means telling a story about this country that is real and raw that not only illuminates the Black experience, but informs an understanding of how racism has driven ongoing attacks on the electoral process.
These attacks, Coates said, have deep roots: “For the majority of American history, this country has argued to itself that Black people are not fit to be equal citizens.” Thus, the rise of Black people in electoral politics including the election of the first Black president has corresponded to a growing disbelief in the legitimacy of the American state.