Ta-Nehisi Coates is one of the most original and perceptive black voices today. He is a journalist, educator and last year he won a National Book Award for “Between the World and Me,” his thoughtful and thought-provoking take on race in America.
He will share his perspective on race relations at a special event open to all alumni, students, faculty and staff and community members on Tuesday, April 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Calihan Hall on the McNichols Campus.
Coates’ “Between the World and Me” is written as an open letter to his teenaged son. The National Book Foundation called it “a brutally honest portrayal of the plight of the African-American male in this country. Incorporating history and personal memoir, Coates creates an essential text for Americans today. The book was named one of the 10 best books of the year by many national newspapers and magazines. He is also the author of a memoir, “The Beautiful Struggle,” about growing up in Baltimore during the age of crack cocaine. Booklist called it a “beautifully written, loving portrait of a strong father bringing his sons to manhood.”
As a national correspondent for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics and social issues. His June 2014 feature on reparations won the prestigious George Polk Award for commentary and was described by New York magazine as “probably the most discussed magazine piece of the Obama era.” He has also received the Hillman Prize for Opinion and Analysis Journalism and a MacArthur Fellowship, and last year was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.
Tickets for this special event are $10 for the general public; free to all University of Detroit Mercy students and colleagues with I.D. and can be purchased online here. We want to fill up Calihan, so bring your friends and family; you’re sure to have something to talk about afterward.
This event is sponsored by University of Detroit Mercy’s Office of Academic Affairs, Student Life and the College of Liberal Arts & Education.
