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heathercottledillon 's review for:
We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy
by Ta-Nehisi Coates
This collection feels like a blend of journalism and essay with a bit of memoir as well. Ta-Nehisi Coates has gathered his best pieces of writing from the years of Barack Obama's presidency and pulled them together with new commentary for each. With extensive reporting, relevant historical research, and incredible insight, Coates examines the situation of black Americans throughout Obama's presidency and in light of the backlash to Obama that fueled the election of Donald Trump, and considers the impact of it all on American history.
Coates' "Between the World and Me" is brilliant, but this is even better, in my opinion, which is remarkable considering that the essays were written over a period of more than eight years. Most compilations of short works have at least a few weak pieces, but every single thing in this collection is profound, though you can see the evolution of Coates' writing in each successive year. Coates is a master at blending relevant statistics, facts, and history into a compelling narrative that includes his own story. He shows how white supremacy has been not just a small part of history that we can sweep under the rug but actually a defining element of American culture and a fundamental influence on U.S. politics, from 1776 to today. He demonstrates why the election of a black President does not mean we are living in a post-racial America. Many of us already knew that, but no one puts it all together better than Ta-Nehisi Coates. "We Were Eight Years in Power" is a must-read.
Coates' "Between the World and Me" is brilliant, but this is even better, in my opinion, which is remarkable considering that the essays were written over a period of more than eight years. Most compilations of short works have at least a few weak pieces, but every single thing in this collection is profound, though you can see the evolution of Coates' writing in each successive year. Coates is a master at blending relevant statistics, facts, and history into a compelling narrative that includes his own story. He shows how white supremacy has been not just a small part of history that we can sweep under the rug but actually a defining element of American culture and a fundamental influence on U.S. politics, from 1776 to today. He demonstrates why the election of a black President does not mean we are living in a post-racial America. Many of us already knew that, but no one puts it all together better than Ta-Nehisi Coates. "We Were Eight Years in Power" is a must-read.