The Power of Narrative

Story is salvation. When you tell your story, you refuse to be an object in someone else's narrative. You become the subject of your own.

Ta-Nehisi Coates · Литература · Ta-Nehisi Coates on the power of stories, new book, "The Message"

Ta-Nehisi Coates

American writer and journalist exploring racial history and identity in America, author of Between the World and Me

Truth and the Difficulty of Dialogue — Ta-Nehisi Coates
When you talk about race in America, people often want to simplify it. But there's real history here, and we must sit with it, even if it's uncomfortable.
History as Living Experience — Ta-Nehisi Coates
History is not something that happened in the past. History lives in the body, in the way society is organized, in the money you have or don't have.
Hope and Its Contradictions — Ta-Nehisi Coates
Hope is not naiveté. It's a firm conviction in the face of evidence that things can be better. But it requires a clear vision of reality.
The Defense of Truth — Ta-Nehisi Coates
I say what I say because it's the truth I know. I can't agree to lie for the sake of politeness.
The World and Personal Anguish — Ta-Nehisi Coates
I can't separate my personal anguish from the pain of the world. They're intertwined. When you're Black in America, your body is a political object.
Humiliation as System — Ta-Nehisi Coates
Humiliation is not a byproduct of oppression. It's the goal. The system is built to make people feel less, and that's structural.

Documenting History — Questlove
As a documentarian, I feel a responsibility to preserve the history of Black music and culture
Birth of a Legend — Paul McCartney
The Beatles were about growth. We changed every single day.
All Music Is Folk Music — Louis Armstrong
All music is folk music. I ain't never heard a horse sing a song.
Alien Artist — David Bowie
I never tried to fit in. I prefer to be myself, even if it's alien.
The Soul of Music — Questlove
Soul is what makes music real. It's what people feel
Always Be a Good Human — Louis Armstrong
I've always tried to be a good human being. That's what matters.