In Favor of Reparations In this paper I will argue that America should pay reparations to black communities that have suffered most from institutionalized racism. My view is not that reparations should be paid via checks mailed by the federal government, of an undeterminable sum, to families that are most eligible, but rather, through changes in policy. These policies would tackle racial inequality at it most obvious sources, the wage gap, the mistreatment of black Americans by our criminal justice system, quality of education, and the disparity in housing between black and white Americans. Before I discuss how we should pay reparation, I will discuss why reparations are necessary in the first place. A couple reasons why America should …show more content…
There were not many options in housing available for black Americans, so they were forced to buy houses “on contract”. With this type of contract, the owner of the house would buy it a lower market price, and then sell the house to black families usually double the price that it was bought for. The family would then make costly monthly payments until they paid off the house, but would have to pay for maintenance and upkeep of the house as well. If the family could not make a payment then they would be kicked out of the house, and lose all of the money that was put into it, and another family would take their place and the cycle would continue. Contract owners made enormous sums of money off the misfortune of African-American families, and in the process created some of America’s ghettos …show more content…
Bouie argues, “The case for reparations, in short, is straightforward. As a matter of public policy, America stole wealth from black people, denied them a shot at prosperity, and deprived them of equal citizenship” (Bouie). Coates, in his article, never tries to make an argument for reparation, merely introduces the HR 40 bill, which would authorize a study of reparations by the American government. The point of the bill is to shed light on racial inequalities, both past and present, that many people are ignorant of, but still benefit from. Coates’ goal is for the country to really acknowledge white supremacy, and the role that it played in our country’s history. I agree that the country should be aware of his true roots, how our country was built on the back of stolen labor from slaves, but simply acknowledging is not enough. Coates is probably hoping that once the country comes to terms with just how much white supremacy and racial inequality is engrained into our culture, then the policy changes will follow. That may be a good approach to take, or perhaps we should demand reparations for those wrong now, instead of waiting and relying on the goodwill of the government to do what is right. What I want to discuss now is what these reparations would look
However, Coates, in his article points out that white people robbed, unkindly treated, and misused African American people. He argues that the “Case for Reparations” will give chances for black African American to have a better future and forget their past. Also he argues that white people crated the damages to the blacks and they need to know how to care and abolish those wrong things that the white people had done to the black African
William Julius Wilson creates a thrilling new systematic framework to three politically tense social problems: “the plight of low-skilled black males, the persistence of the inner-city ghetto, and the fragmentation of the African American family” (Wilson, 36). Though the conversation of racial inequality is classically divided. Wilson challenges the relationship between institutional and cultural factors as reasons of the racial forces, which are inseparably linked, but public policy can only change the racial status quo by reforming the institutions that support it.
In “The Case for Reparations,” Ta-Nehisi Coates sets out a powerful argument for reparations to blacks for having to thrive through horrific inequity, including slavery, Jim Crowism, Northern violence and racist housing policies. By erecting a slave society, America erected the economic foundation for its great experiment in democracy. And Reparations would mean a revolution of the American consciousness, reconciling of our self-image as the great democratizer with the facts of our history. Paying such a moral debt is such a great matter of justice served rightfully to those who were suppressed from the fundamental roles, white supremacy played in American history.
Though slavery was arguably abolished, “for thousands of blacks, the badge of slavery [lives] on” (Alexander 141). Many young black men today face similar discrimination as a black man in the Jim Crow era - in housing, employment, public benefits, and so-called constitutional rights. This discrimination characterizes itself on a basis of a person’s criminal record, making it perfectly legal. As Alexander suggests, “This is the new normal, the new racial equilibrium” (Alexander, 181).
The descendants of the slaves here in America are showered with government aid David Horowitz states that “trillions of dollars in transfer payments have been made to African-Americans in the form of welfare benefits and racial preferences in contracts, job placements and educational admissions”. Since the 60’s, acts and bills have been passed to return justice to the African-American community. For example the passing of the Civil Rights Act presented by President Lyndon B. Johnson. banned the discrimination of race. In addition, Horowitz asks “if trillion-dollar restitutions and the rewriting of American law is not enough to achieve healing, what is?”. Meaning the government has worked to better the social lives of African-Americans as well as economically.
Initially, when I listened to Sekou Sundiata’s Longstoryshort album, it did not have any significant effect on me, which is probably due to the type of music that I align myself with. I did enjoy the song “Reparations”, which talked about society giving reparations for slavery. It was in this song that I noticed that it aligned itself more with protest poetry sort of how the Black Lives Matter Movement use protest to spark a conversation on issues that plague black people. Sekou Sundiata’s song “Reparations” focus on whites owing reparations and the Black Lives Matter Movement focus on blacks being owed accountability for the wrongs committed by white terrorists. One of the concepts that Sekou Sundiata mentions is the government-initiated concept
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.
Reparations? Just the term stirs up controversy, along with endless amounts of questions that are still to be answered. Should reparations be awarded? Is it feasible? Who should receive it? In what forms should it be given? These are only a few of the most important questions that need to be answered. To answer these questions, I will draw on the research conducted for my country study and the panel debates that were conducted over the past weeks. To fully understand my reasoning you must be informed of the approaches discussed on both sides of these debates.
... for emotional distress. The effect of this Congressional Act, continues to be a pivotal force within the workplace and to give fare reparations for those black people who have been treated. In examining the various Congressional Acts that the African American community has faced spanning from the 1700s to the late 1990s, helps display the ways in which there has been some progression for change. The time span from the 1700s to the 1990s shows the progress for Congressional Acts that helps to uplift black people. In this way there has been a breakthrough in sense of unity and connection between the black community and society as a whole.
Reparations Although the talk of reparations of slavery has been in discussion for over a hundred years, it is beginning to heat up again. Within these discussions, the issue of the form of reparations has been evaluated and money has been an option several times. However, reparations in the form of money should not be obtained for several reasons. Firstly, it is not a solution to the problem, secondly monetary reparations have the ability to worsen discrimination, thirdly, who gets paid, and how is it regulated, and lastly, the money can be misused.
In Britain's Black Debt, Professor Beckles sets about making a case for reparations to be made by Great Britain toward the English-speaking Caribbean's for the colonies of West Africans that they enslaved a...
The article includes the tale of a small town near Chicago, North Lawndale. North Lawndale was a Jewish community up to the mid 1960’s when it began to integrate black people into the community. The Jewish people there were happy to see the neighborhood integrate but many others were not. Those that were not happy to see the neighborhood integrate started buying properties up and selling tem to black families at a substantial upcharge. Not only was the price of the home much higher than the value of the home, the way in which the black families were forced to buy their homes was by something called on contract. On contract was a “predatory agreement that combined all the responsibilities of homeownership with all the disadvantages of renting—while offering the benefits of neither” (The Case for Reparations, So That’s Just One of My Losses”) and left many families unable to pay the mortgages. The end results of this discrimination were debilitating to the community of North Lawndale, which is now a majority black neighborhood and a ghetto. This story may not initially sound like one of white privilege but it is when you consider the fact that white people have not historically had to face situations like this one in North Lawndale and therefore their neighborhoods have not met the same type
Realtors would try to only show white people houses in a white middle-upper class neighborhood, and would show black people houses in the lower-income (ghetto) neighborhood. “To induce whites to turn over entire blocks to black purchasers, Weaver announced that he would pay cash for houses in lots of twenty-five. But, as soon as one black family moved into the area, the area was considered busted and the remaining white families would sell their houses to the blacks” (Schirmer, 100).
The best way for the United States to make up for injustices is to return land to Native American group . .today i will be talking about how the indian should get their land back rather than money.one reason why i think they should get land rather than money is that they will probably wouldnt use it for useful things. Native american were here first and if they had their land they will have the natural resources to survive.
...ican and Japanese Americans communities have both filed many lawsuits for reparations but to no avail. Japanese Americans worked to educate the community about the injustices and inhumanities suffered by the Japanese during World War II. The African American community held conferences and symposiums to bring awareness to the issue on college campuses. Public awareness brought attention to the injustices suffered by Japanese and African Americans at the hand of the United States Government. The fight for reparation in both the Japanese and African American community should help to open dialogue regarding reparations in the United States.