Ta-Nehisi Coates Announces New Book
Source: CNN
(Photo Credit: Stephen Voss—Redux)
White supremacist Richard Spencer agreeing with Cornel West’s criticism was the last straw for Ta-Nehisi Coates.
After Cornel West penned an essay critiquing writer Ta-Nehisi Coates’ theories on race in America, Coates responded with rebuttals in defense of his work on Twitter. The online intellectual exchange was then intercepted by white supremacist Richard Spencer proffering his (more than likely unwanted) opinion stating that he agreed with West, prompting Coates to delete his Twitter account.
READ: Watch Ta-Nehisi Coates Eloquently Explain Why White People Shouldn't Say The N-Word
West charged that Coates, “fetishizes white supremacy. His analysis/vision of our world is too narrow & dangerously misleading, omitting the centrality of Wall Street power, US military policies, & the complex dynamics of class, gender, & sexuality in black America,” to which Spencer responded,
The MacArthur Genius Grant winner, whose historical analyses and interviews have helped him rise to prominence as a premier black voice, responded seemingly with shock on his now defunct account:
READ: Ta-Nehisi Coates Announces New Book, 'We Were Eight Years in Power'
Coates, who won a National Book Award in 2015 for “Between the World and Me,” recently published his latest book, “We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy,” a series of essays on the historical, cultural, and political transition from President Obama to Donald Trump.
Though Coates often posted social and political commentary on the beloved app, now it looks like people might have to resort to continue reading his actual work. Because, you know, words exist outside of Twitter.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Donald Trump Jr. retweeted Richard Spencer's comment.
