“If I have to jump six feet to get the same thing that you have to jump two feet for - that's how racism works.”

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Meaning

The quote explains racism as an unfair difference in effort required to reach the same outcome. One person must work much harder than another for equal results. It frames racism as inequality built into the rules of the situation.

When It Was Said

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Who It Was Said To

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Historical Context

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Source

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Original Language & Translation

Originally said in English.

Did They Really Say It?

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About Ta-Nehisi Coates

American author, journalist, and activist

Ta-Nehisi Paul Coates is an American author, journalist, and activist. He became widely read while serving as a national correspondent at The Atlantic, where his reporting and essays focused on cultural, social, and political questions, especially those involving African Americans and white supremacy. His work is closely associated with progressive politics and with writing that examines race, power, and public life in the United States. He is known for addressing these subjects with clarity and force, and his name remains strongly linked to contemporary commentary on American society.

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Books by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Between the World and Me

2015

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The Water Dancer

2019

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The Beautiful Struggle

2009

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We Were Eight Years in Power

2018

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