Ta-Nehisi Coates on James Baldwin's Words

In the debut episode of “Notes on a Native Son,” host Razia Iqbal sits down with essayist and novelist Ta-Nehisi Coates to discuss one of his favorite passages from the works of writer James Baldwin. His choice comes from Baldwin’s essay “On Being ‘White’…And Other Lies,” published in Essence Magazine in 1984. Coates shares why this piece resonates with him as a writer tackling whiteness, race and what it means to be an American today.

Coates is the author of the bestselling books “Between the World and Me” and “The Water Dancer.” His latest book, “The Message,” (published October 2024) documents the time he spent in Palestine, Senegal and South Carolina — and details why the stories we do and don’t tell from areas of conflict matter.

Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.

Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.