Piers Morgan dubbed 'ignorant' by Ta-Nehisi Coates in N-word dispute A strong opinion about the N-word voiced by former CNN host Piers Morgan gave way to an online grapple Monday night between Morgan and Ta-Nehisi Coates, a senior editor at the Atlantic and a nonpareil voice on race and racism in the United States. Morgan's piece, on the MailOnline, where he is editor-at-large, placed the onus of ending use of the N-word on African Americans. The piece drew a storm of negative feedback. Eventually it drew the attention of Coates. Coates jumped in after Morgan stoked the embers of umbrage by tweeting: "Is it what I wrote that offended, #BlackTwitter - or the skin colour of the man who wrote it? #NWord." Coates replied: "You are further evidencing your deep ignorance. Black people have been debating this among themselves long before you. A dramatic two-way non-conversation ensued. "Not your skin color that offends," Coates continued. It is your desire to cover your deep ignorance of black people, with a facade of expertise. In brief - you're not qualified. Piers: Don't be so patronising Coates: You said something ignorant @piersmorgan. Was called on it, and accused your critics of saying it because you were white. Morgan: The only "ignorant" aspect to my column has been the reaction from people like you @tanehisicoates . Be better. Coates then turned away from Morgan to questions of language and oppression and rules and who makes them. Read it here. Coates has quit Twitter before, because of what he diagnosed as too much talking. Morgan's CNN talk show attracted few viewers and was cancelled five months ago. He has a history of flagrant name-calling on Twitter. He called former CNN host Larry King, whom he replaced, a "graceless old toad" in the course of an online argument he was conducting with King's wife. He also called King a "daft old goat."