‘You guys should be inspired’: students react to Ta-Nehisi Coates speech

The author brought in a full house Friday night

Oregon students and community members were treated to a dose of inspiration Friday night when author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates spoke in front of a sold out crowd at Matthew Knight Arena. Coates was the selected speaker for the annual Rhul Lecture put on the School of Journalism and Communication.

Coates, who focuses on African-American society, talked about the understanding of race in America. He’s also the author of UO’s 2016 common reading, ‘Between the World and Me’, a story about a letter to the author’s teenage son about the feelings, symbolism, and realities associated with being black in the United States.

After he finished speaking, the crowd got on their feet, cheering for the distinguished speaker, and attendees took to social media platforms to express their gratitude. Here’s what they said:

Tim Hubata-Vacek, English

‘It was cathartic, especially in light of recent events like the Muslim Ban. It reminded me that they have a voice. What he said about race being the child of racism and not the father was really powerful.’

‘That’s gonna stay with me forever.’

Nicole Muranaga, sophomore, Human Physiology

‘I just read his book for my philosophy class and just hearing him speak about it, and connecting it to Trump’s policy was powerful.’

‘Our generation is so passionate about promoting diversity and even though he is our president, we don’t let him dictate everything or let him define us.’

You can buy his book here.

 

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