“We have this long history of racism in this country, and as it happens, the criminal justice system has been perhaps the most prominent instrument for administering racism. But the racism doesn't actually come from the criminal justice system.”

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.