Ta-Nehisi Coates article titled The Case for Reparations is a lengthy article about different issues that faced the black community from the past to the present and the struggle to acquire reparations for them. Coates brought issues back to light after they were bury by society. He mention things that I was aware of and things I had no idea happened. It was an enlighten piece that should be recognized for its accomplishments in discussing the issues of the past that still occur in the present. Coates starts his article with a verse from the book of Deuteronomy. The verse states that if you brought a slave that is to serve six years, you must let him go. Not only must you free the slave, you must also furnish him and provided him with means …show more content…
This is amazing passage that really sets the tone for the rest of the paper. It’s ironic and inspirational in every way. Coates makes a connection about this when he referenced Nathaniel Bacon’s rebellion in which white and black indentured servants banded together to fight for their rights. The sad thing is that many whites forget today they too faced discrimination and struggled for their rights. Rather it was the holocaust, women’s right movement or even union strikes, we all had to fight for something as Americans since the beginning. While, Coates focus on Chicago’s struggle for rights in housing in terms of blacks and whites, there are more diverse examples of this in other cities. New York City is home to many neighborhoods of varying backgrounds and races. New York City has everything from Little Italy to Chinatown, but are those places restricted to people of that ethnic background? Legally, the answer is no. You cannot be denied housing because of your background or beliefs. However, this does not stop people from being denied anyway. New York City, while the most culturally diverse city, is also the most segregated. Many may see this isn’t a issue but it …show more content…
To make matters worse, they only was able to renegotiate housing right with 106 homeowners out of the 552 who also supported the movement. For the unlucky ones, they lost everything and was forced to move. To me, the documentary that placed on article was too cheery and lenient in the fact that this movement risked the homes and hundreds of black residents in Chicago. The negative facts of this movement and the results still prevalent in the present were touch upon by words on the screen, instead of being discussed with the ones who won. What happened to the people who lost their home? Did the ones who win help them? Or did they reap of their own benefits and carried own with their lives in their newly acquired home? It would have been nice to see their prospective of losing their goal, and the idea that they did not stick together like they promised. Not all movements are picture perfect and I think it would have been a refreshing take on this issue if it focus more on the loss than the few
Paragraph 13 first mentions this statement. It starts off with a reminder that the oppressed must speak up to gain their freedom which will not be given to them so freely by the ones who are the oppressors themselves. Before the usage of the word, it is already shown how the Negroes aren’t expected to have their
Ta-Nehisi Coates, author of the article “The Case for Reparations” presents a powerful argument for reparations to black African American for a long time of horrendous injustice as slavery plus discrimination, violence, hosing policies, family incomes, hard work, education, and more took a place in black African American’s lives. He argues that paying such a right arrears is not only a matter of justice; however, it is important for American people to express how they treated black African Americans.
America have a long history of black’s relationship with their fellow white citizens, there’s two authors that dedicated their whole life, fighting for equality for blacks in America. – Audre Lorde and Brent Staples. They both devoted their professional careers outlying their opinions, on how to reduce the hatred towards blacks and other colored. From their contributions they left a huge impression on many academic studies and Americans about the lack of awareness, on race issues that are towards African-American. There’s been countless, of critical evidence that these two prolific writers will always be synonymous to writing great academic papers, after reading and learning about their life experience, from their memoirs.
When it all comes down to it, one of the greatest intellectual battles U.S. history was the legendary disagreement between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois. This intellectual debate sparked the interest of the Northerners as well as the racist whites that occupied the south. This debate was simply about how the blacks, who just gained freedom from slavery, should exist in America with the white majority. Even though Washington and DuBois stood on opposite sides of the fence they both agreed on one thing, that it was a time for a change in the treatment of African Americans. I chose his topic to write about because I strongly agree with both of the men’s ideas but there is some things about their views that I don’t agree with. Their ideas and views are the things that will be addressed in this essay.
While the formal abolition of slavery, on the 6th of December 1865 freed black Americans from their slave labour, they were still unequal to and discriminated by white Americans for the next century. This ‘freedom’, meant that black Americans ‘felt like a bird out of a cage’ , but this freedom from slavery did not equate to their complete liberty, rather they were kept in destitute through their economic, social, and political state.
The quote above is from the British governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore who proclaimed freedom for African American slaves who fought for the British, after George Washington announced there would be no additional recruitment of Blacks in the Continental army in 1776. For numerous free blacks and enslaved blacks, the Revolutionary War was considered to be an essential period in black manifestation. Many public officials (like Dunmore), who initially had not expressed their views on slavery, saw the importance of African Americans and considered them an imperative tool in winning the war. Looking back, it almost seems like an inherent paradox in white America’s desire of emancipation from England while there still enslaving blacks. This concept has different grounds in white’s idea of liberation in comparison to that of the African-Americans. To white Americans, this war was for liberation in a political/economical tone rather than in the sense of the privatized oppression that blacks suffered from. But what started this war and what would this mean for blacks? How did these African Americans contribute to the war effort? What were there some of their duties? How did the white communities perceive them? How did it all end for these blacks? The main topic of this paper is to show how the use African Americans helped the control the outcome of the war while monitoring their contributions.
Coates is tells his son about achieving The American Dream, the difficulties he seen and experienced due to racism, and unfair/injustice ways. His book shows how racism makes The American Dream difficult to achieve, how the environment we live in affects us and how the roots of black people has an impact on our lives today.
...er, it is declining. Since the 1960’s, there have been progress towards racial housing segregation. However, the problem of racial discrimination remains an important factor in determining current examples of social and economic inequality. Despite everything, it is suggests that unfairness does continue to affect the portion of current opportunities. Even though there are laws and agencies that supposed to prohibit this type of matter, it still exist and hidden away from federal and state minds. The article supports the reality that minorities are unfairly treated based on
Horowitz, David. “Ten Reasons Why Reparations For Blacks Are A Bad Idea For Blacks And Racist, Too. FrontPageMagazine.com. 31 May 2001.
Historians Mary Dudziack, Micheal Krenn, and Thomas Borstlemann have been credited in this work for their contribution to the struggle for Black equality in that their scholarly contributions share the same historiography as Carol Andersons Eyes off the Prize. Author Carol Anderson uses their works to build upon her own thesis.
Imagine you’re young, and alone. If your family was taken from you and suffered horribly for your freedom, would you want to be repaid in some form? In the article “The Case for Reparations” Ta-Nehisi Coates discusses a great deal of information about reparations, and if they should be given. Reparations are when a person or people make amends for the wrong they have done. Ta-Nehisi believes that from two hundred years of slavery, ninety years of Jim Crow laws, sixty years of separate but equal, and thirty five years of racist housing policy, that America is shackled. Only if we face the compounding moral debt can America be free. Until we face the reality of what happened together, we will always be bound by the lies that have been told.
The time has come again to celebrate the achievements of all black men and women who have chipped in to form the Black society. There are television programs about the African Queens and Kings who never set sail for America, but are acknowledged as the pillars of our identity. In addition, our black school children finally get to hear about the history of their ancestors instead of hearing about Columbus and the founding of America. The great founding of America briefly includes the slavery period and the Antebellum south, but readily excludes both black men and women, such as George Washington Carver, Langston Hughes, and Mary Bethune. These men and women have contributed greatly to American society. However, many of us only know brief histories regarding these excellent black men and women, because many of our teachers have posters with brief synopses describing the achievements of such men and women. The Black students at this University need to realize that the accomplishments of African Americans cannot be limited to one month per year, but should be recognized everyday of every year both in our schools and in our homes.
We remember Mrs. Lithebe's words, "For what else are we born?" and we see that there are some white men who do care. We also learn of James Jarvis's suffering and fear.
Sidney, Mara S. 2003. Unfair Housing: How National Policy Shapes Community Action. Lawrence: Univ. Press of Kansas.
What this show us, is that nothing has been changed since the collapse of Jim Crow Law when millions of people struggled from political, social and economic inequality. That today, people who paid their debt to the society must wear the tag of “dregs” for the rest of their lives. But just one thing, for me, it is very hard to accept that notion, that only African-American have suffered from such matters as slavery. The historical facts show that white slavery used to be as shameful as black slavery, “ the desire for cheap labor caused the elite merchants and landowners to enslave not only the Negroes but their own white kindred as well. Black were much more expensive than whites. Therefore, whites were mistreated more often than blacks”. Sadly, that this fact ignored, but history of black slavery, many people recall very often. Perhaps, it is not favorable for them to keep silent, perhaps they have their own biases or to awaken a sense of compassion and sense of guilt. Even Michelle Alexander says: “ you may have even black friend or relatives, does not mean you are free from unconscious bias (107).” I think that such words may say simply an individual who adheres to a bias toward racial disparity. Before accusing someone of discrimination, we must first pay