Photo courtesy of Peter Soucy / Hofstra Chronicle
Ta-Nehisi Coates, a former correspondent for The Atlantic, author and comic book writer, visited Hofstra University on Thursday, Sept. 20 to discuss his career and personal takes on politics and race in the United States. Students and faculty from the University, along with students from various local high schools, gathered in the John Cranford Adams Playhouse. The conversation served as the first installment of the semester in the Hofstra Cultural Center’s Signature Event Series and as the inaugural Hofstra Votes event.
“When you don’t vote, you vote,” Coates said at the top of the discussion that underscored the gravity of being an active rather than a passive citizen, in terms of civic engagement. He emphasized this in the context of before and after heading to the ballot box in the weeks leading up to November’s midterm elections.
This difference, he noted, is what sets apart “C” citizens in what he claims is doing the bare minimum of voting, and the “A” citizens who are actively engaged. “[O]ne should struggle because it’s a beautiful way to live and a beautiful way to die,” he said of activism and political involvement.
He contrasted this idea of engagement with Colin Kapernick’s protest and the subsequent Nike advertisement that was released in September. “I don’t think [Nike] should be saluted at all for anything,” he said.
“I hope that many students, especially high school students, took the importance of civic engagement, grassroots movements and protesting away from his discussions of voting,” said Genesis Rivera, a senior double major in political science and sociology. “Motivating younger generations to involve themselves in political discourse to pressure the establishment and create change.”
“Coming up in a country where mass media, more so than today but still today, actively as far as I’m concerned, preached racism and preached white supremacy in its aesthetics in its notion of what intellectual achievement looked like … to be ensconced in a world where everybody who lived out those values were black had a tremendous effect on me,” Coates said in response to a question from a student.
“I hope students took away a sense of hope. Yes, this topic was about citizen engagement and black struggles in America, but I truly hope every student in the Playhouse, black or not, took away the hope that change will come and ways to be proactive toward that change,” said Antreise Lacey, a junior video, television and film major.
Students applauded the fact that Coates did not shy away from on-campus controversies. “It all starts with us, and even Coates bringing up his opinion in the controversy of the Jefferson statue, which was started by one of our very students, validated why it started, the purpose and the fact that change has to come from us,” Lacey said.
During a sit down with students and student media prior to the event, Coates was asked about the Thomas Jefferson statue that is situated outside of the student center. Initially, he cautioned students not to compare this particular statue with those of Confederates.
“The Confederacy was literally a rebellion against the United States of America,” he said. “It should be obscene to any citizen that Robert E. Lee is honored anywhere.” Additionally, he noted that “they are uniquely bad as elements of anti-patriotism and as elements of straight up white racism.”
“You have to be clear about holding people who lived in history accountable to the standards of today,” he said. “But Thomas Jefferson was bad by his own standards, by the standards of that period. He wrote about it … I think Jefferson is uniquely bad actually.” Coates said. “I don’t know if the statue should be moved or if there should be a plaque.”
Toward the conclusion of the event, Coates showed support for the Jefferson Has Gotta Go! campaign.
“Coates said what we have been saying [for over] 5 months. He is just Coates and I am Ja’Loni. I’m grateful for his support and for his remarks because the people motivated by them needed them and this campaign needed them because burnout is so real. I hope we get in contact with him. We’re waiting on Hofstra to coordinate that. I hope they do right by us and make sure we are connected,” said Ja’Loni Owens, a senior public policy major.
“I personally want it gone, but this campaign is about things bigger than me. The campus at large is comfortable with it being in the museum with context so that’s the sweet spot we arrived at. I’m promoting whatever makes everyone feel safer,” they said.
