What Ta-Nehisi Coates Gets Right about Losing

Why the fight for justice matters even when victory feels impossible.

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As the nation continues its free fall into fascism, Ta-Nehisi Coates had a sobering and realistic assessment—we may not win.

Coates, an acclaimed writer and public intellectual, spoke on The Ezra Klein Show with Klein, a New York Times political opinion writer and podcaster.¹

Klein asked, “Why are we [i.e. liberals, Democrats] losing?”

Coates responded flatly, “We’re losing because there are always moments when we lose.”

The Potency of Hate

We have to realize the incredibly potent power of hate, explained.

Just really quickly getting back to Charlie Kirk: I would watch those clips of him saying those things, and I would see how people would cheer and get charged by it. They were excited.

People get activated by hate. It’s a very, very, very strong force.

What If We Don’t Win?

It may not be what we want to hear, but we have to steel ourselves for the likelihood that we will not achieve the political outcomes we desire—at least not in the short term.

We are planting seeds that will bear fruit we many never taste.

We may not restore the rule of law. We may not see the policies change.

We may not see the proper functioning of checks and balances. We may not have free and fair elections.

We may not stop the brutalization of immigrants. We may not be able to fix what was broken.

Changing the Moral Calculus

Far from dissuading us from resisting, however, knowing we may not win strengthens us for the struggle.

It changes our moral calculus.

We don’t fight for democracy simply because we think we will win but because it is right.

If you can still fight for what you believe in when the odds are long, then you know you are committed to the principle, not just the victory.

It gives you a sense of resolve that transcends results.

Coates put it this way,

So I don’t think it requires you to feel that you’ll eventually lose. On the contrary, I think it requires you to feel that even if you do lose, you have this steadfastness to keep going.

I maintain hope that one day the United States will be better and stronger than it is now. That this trial of character and government will move us “toward a more perfect union.”

That positive change just may not happen quickly.

Faithfulness in the Face of Defeat

Yet when you liberate yourself from the fear of losing, you actually become more resilient in your resistance.

You learn that the struggle for justice is not simply about the changes that happen in the world, but the changes that happen in you.

Whether we win or not, we become better people—shaped by the very act of continuing our struggle.

But refusing to give up doesn’t spare us hardship.

In fact, it often deepens our suffering because we carry the weight of grief, disappointment, and labor without the numbing power of vengeance or the catharsis of victory.

The Bible says that, “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame” (Romans 5:3-5a).

That kind of hope is not built on the certainty of winning, but on the assurance that faithfulness itself matters.

God does not call us to win. God calls us to be faithful.

We don’t fight because victory is guaranteed; we fight because it is right and because of who we become in the process.

How do you measure success in movements for justice if not by immediate wins? Let us know in the comments.

1. The Klein-Coates conversation has stirred controversy online. It started with an article by Klein praising Charlie Kirk for “practicing politics the right way.” Then Coates responded with an article of his own. Klein then invited Coates into his podcast to discuss their differences.