Essay on Reparations For African Slavery

In the Atlantic article by Ta-Nehisi Coates titled “The Case for Reparations, Coates argues that the reason why the United States was able to grow and acquire most of its wealth can be directly tied to the enormous losses people of the African-American community have suffered since the use of slave labor in America. Historically, African-Americans have always been discriminated against. Even today, African-Americans continue to be excluded from the system, while the nation, primarily non-blacks, continues to reap the benefits. Moreover, Coates affirms that the nation needs to acknowledge these truths and should provide reparations for the African-American people. Merriam-Webster defines reparations as “the act of making amends, offering expiation,

In “The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehisi Coates, the author begins his article with this quote to ensure that his audience has a different perspective about the case for African American reparations. There is no denying that since the inception of the United States of America, African Americans have faced serious discrimination and injustice, which may in fact entitle them to reparations. Some African American communities of the present are still experiencing the negative effects of slavery, Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction racism. These negative effects are evident in Chicago’s North Lawndale, where the almost all-black community still suffers from the injustices committed by contract sellers when African Americans would try to purchase a home (Coates). In his article, Coates claims that African Americans deserve reparations because they inherit an “ecologically different” type of poverty compared to whites as members and are haunted by their history of impoverished ancestors (“The Case for Reparations”). The author’s premise is flawed because poverty is disadvantageous to all groups it affects, not just African Americans. Thus, one cannot justify reparations because African Americans have a different type of inherited poverty. There are

The article, “The Case for Reparations”, presents itself with a commendable representation on how the need for reparations is essential when combined with the brutal history of slavery and progression of blacks in American Society after slavery. Ta- Nehisi Coates argues that the relationship between racial identity and reparations is based upon America’s debt to blacks for the countless years of injustice. With this he demonstrates how white supremacy has ultimately used impractical measures to maintain what they consider social stability for those who were not African American.

Burkett ‘8 (Maxine Burkett- Associate Professor of Law, University of Colorado Law School.- 2008- “Reconciliation and Nonrepetition: A New Paradigm for African-American Reparations” P.

Slavery and the Jim Crow Era have long since passed, and you would think that racism should have ended then; yet it did not. Racism is something that still exists today, even though many people try to turn a blind eye to it thinking that it is going to go away. In the article “The Case for Reparations,” Ta-Nehisi Coates makes an argument about how African-Americans should receive reparations for everything that they have had to endure, but he does not give a clear answer on how to go about it. In the article, Coates talks about how racism is at the core of all the reparations that the government has tried to make, and these programs are only hurting African-Americans instead of helping them.

It is undeniable that slavery has affected the American culture, our ancestors who either choose to be in America or were transported here less than 400 years ago. Over an estimated 300,000 slaves were transported to freshly colonized home, laden with diseases and new ordeals (Voyage, 2013). They were forced to work long and hard while their whip-torn bodies lay as an omen to what our freedom is built upon. An omen to how their very own freedom and basic rights are taken all for the advancement of a society that they were marginalized and systematically excluded from. This is the heritage that all Americans, especially African Americans, are so familiar with today. Though African Americans are no longer in the fields being beaten, but the underlying affects of this treatment of their race is irrefutable. Ever since slavery began, African Americans have had to

In the article, “The case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehisi Coates, the author examined African American history as it relates to slavery and oppression. The article discussed slavery experiences, unjust laws, current issues, and reparation ideas. Coates (2014) examined past events that occurred to prevent African Americans from being equal to whites. According to Coates (2014) African Americans were vulnerable because they did not have protection from law. The article discussed how African Americans suffered many loses due to whites such as voting rights, taxes, and property lost. African Americans were still at a disadvantage when certain laws were put into place in their favor. Coates (2014) gives great insight of the unfairness and hardships. The article also gives great examples of current issues that African Americans encounter in today’s society, such as health care and employment. Coates (2014) main purpose is to encourage readers that African Americans deserve compensation for years of oppression. The author also believes that reparation is necessary and would be very beneficial.

Where would the justice be if reparations were made today, making those not directly reprehensible of slavery pay those who were not directly victimized by slavery. This is less of a reparation, but more of a reprisal where “one crime is committed by a member of one group against another group, so the second group gets vengeance on an innocent member of the first group.”(Koukl, pg. 2) This is why trying to solve this problem with monetary compensation to slave descendants is more unreasonable now than before. The U.S. government at that time chose to neglect making any type of reparations, and will disagree with it today.

Despite being held at the bottom of the social pyramid for throughout colonial times, the labor of the colonies would prove to be far from useless. While vast, open land was turned into numerous plantations in the colonies by rich planters, the plantations could not purely be run by their owners, creating a great need for labor. This lack of labor would eventually be solved through the use of African slaves, but after the first shipment of slaves to Jamestown in 1619, few were purchased due to high prices for an extended amount of time. The planters, however, would be able to fulfill their need for labor through English indentured servants. Through the use of indentured servants, basically free labor was provided to land owners, while

Slavery has been entwined with American history ever since Dutch traders brought twenty captive Africans to Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. Slavery in America is a subject with minimal truths and stories rarely told. The public school system excludes the fact that eight of the first twelve American presidents were major slaveholders. Emancipation brought freedom, but not approximation. The civil rights movement killed Jim Crow, but shadows remained. Affirmative Action created opportunities, but racism continues.

In the present paper a clear link will be made between segregation and slavery and an increased poverty rate in African Americans now, as well as an analysis of previous historical instances of reparations and how other instances of reparations from slavery set a precedent for reparations for African Americans. There will also be mention of past historical precedent and how, when reparations were given prior, they were received. International law must be addressed as well, and it plays a key part in the argument for reparations. Once that information is established, I will go on to the gap in my knowledge. The gap that is present in my research is futuristic, therefore, there is no way to be completely sure of what way reparations will affect African Americans lives. The way I am hoping to reach this gap is through an analysis of different historical accounts of reparations. Along with looking to historical precedent, I will also look to see if financial aid will still be available to the African Americans who do receive reparations. The topic of reparations is a highly controversial one because there are extremely strong arguments on each side, some of which I will mention in this paper. Reparations have not yet been given to African Americans so there is a large gap in knowledge as to whether or not they will work. Since reparations are all theoretical this paper will be based heavily on

For many years the United States has committed atrocious and discriminatory acts against African Americans. In a seemingly more “equal” society today many are wondering what debt is owed to the descendants of African Americans. According to Alfred Brophy of University of North Carolina, reparations are defined as, “programs that are justified on the basis of past harm and that are also designated to assess and correct that harm and improve the lives of victims in the future.” Throughout this paper I will be discussing whether reparations should be paid to African Americans. I will evaluate the question through legal, moral, and political lenses. I will evaluate the start of the movement of reparations while also taking into consideration how reparations have been given in the past. I will also explore new forms/types of reparations that can be given to African Americans. I will also determine the short and long term impacts the implementation of reparations would have on African American society and the society in its entirety.

Slavery had been a huge part of America's history and has contributed greatly towards the structure of today's American demographic. One of the issues that come with the topic of slavery is reparations. The question asked is should we provide reparations or deny reparations. As much as I believe that every harm done to someone should have some compensation in return, in this case, it is just too late. Rather than fixing what had happened, it would create more struggles for the people.

Reparation is a term defined as “the making of amends for a wrong one has done, by paying money to or otherwise helping those who have been wronged.” How does this exactly apply when we’re talking about discrimination and segregation? Ta-Nehisi Coates presents “The Case for Reparations” to illustrate the need of a reparation to African- American citizens. Coates explains three major concepts in his paper. He emphasizes how African- American citizens have helped create wealth, displays how the government has actually restricted African- American citizens from owning homes in history, and presents a series of compelling stories from people still suffering discrimination and segregation today. In this paper, I will defend “The Case for Reparations” in agreement with Ta-Nahisi Coates.

The United States government should pay reparations to African Americans as a means of admitting their wrong-doing and making amends. The damages African Americans have sustained from White America’s policy of slavery have been agonizing and inhumane. Therefore, I am in favor of reparations for African Americans. The effect of slavery has been an enduring issue within the African American community. Many of us are cognizant of the harm racism brought to the African American race, conveyed through slavery, racial segregation and discrimination. African Americans suffered many atrocities, but the greatest damage done to them was the destruction of they’re original identity. African