740 East 56th Place

Chicago, Illinois 60637

(773) 947-0600

Contact:

Raymond Ward
(773) 947-0600 ext 228

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

THE DUSABLE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY
PRESENTS
IN CONVERSATION WITH TA-NEHISI COATES
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2014
Chicago, IL. - In conjunction with its newest exhibition, Spirits of the Passage: The
Story of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the DuSable Museum of African American
History and the Illinois Amistad Commission is pleased to present In Conversation
with Ta-Nehisi Coates. The event will take place on Thursday, November 13, 2014
beginning at 6:30 PM at the museum which is located at 740 East 56 th Place (57th
Street and South Cottage Grove Avenue) in Chicago.
Ta-Nehisi Coates is one of the most original and perceptive voices in Black America. He
is a senior editor for The Atlantic and blogger for that publications website where he
writes about cultural, social and political issues. His Atlantic cover story earlier this year
on slavery and race, The Case for Reparations, is one of the most talked about pieces
of non-fiction in recent memory, and his lively bloga lesson in how to thoroughly
engage a community of readerswas named by Time Magazine as one of the 25 Best in
the World.
Coates has worked for The Village Voice, Washington City Paper and Time Magazine. He
has contributed to The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, The Washington
Monthly, O, and other publications. In 2008 he published a memoir, The Beautiful
Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood, about coming of age
in West Baltimore and its impact on him. In it, he discusses the influence of his father, a
former Black Panther; the prevailing street crime of the era and its effects on his older
brother, his own troubled experience attending Baltimore-area schools and his eventual
enrollment and graduation from Howard University.
Earlier this year he joined the School of Journalism at the City University of New York
(CUNY) as its journalist-in-residence. Coates was previously the Martin Luther King
Visiting Associate Professor at MIT.
---more--In Conversation with Ta-Nehisi Coates
Page 2-2-2-2

To properly prepare themselves, guests are invited to experience the exhibition Spirits of
the Passage: The Story of the Transatlantic Slave Trade immediately prior to the
Conversation. The exhibition will be open from 5:00 PM until 6:30 PM for viewing.
In Conversation with Ta-Nehisi Coates is made possible by the Illinois Amistad
Commission and The DuSable Museum of African American History. This project is
partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural
Affairs & Special Events. Admission is $10.00 per person and tickets are available at
http://thedusablemuseum.eventbrite.com and also in the DuSable Museum Gift Shop. The
DuSable Museum of African American History gratefully acknowledges the Chicago
Park Districts generous support of the Museum.
About The DuSable Museum of African American History
The DuSable Museum of African American History is one of the oldest institutions of its kind in
the country. Our mission is to collect, preserve and display artifacts and objects that promote
understanding and inspire appreciation of the achievements, contributions and experiences of
African Americans through exhibits, programs and activities that illustrate African and African
American history, culture and art. For more information on the Museum and its programs, please
call (773) 947-0600 or visit us at www.dusablemuseum.org

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