In this interview, 2015 MacArthur Fellow Ta-Nehisi Coates talks about his evolution as a writer and his personal and professional interest in “how wide the umbrella of human rights and democracy can expand.” Coates’ work addresses complex and challenging issues such as racial identity, systemic racial bias, urban policing, and the case for reparations through the lens of personal experience and nuanced historical analysis. This resource is part of the MacArthur Fellows Program Collection.