Reparations For Descendents of African Slaves in America Essay

Although Coates does not offer any particulars regarding an immediate solution for reparations and how they should be administered, he does seem to make some suggestions. Coates implies that improvements in educational opportunities through scholarships, affirmative action, and increased funding can serve as reparations. Expanding healthcare access for black Americans is another way of providing reparations. Moreover, monetary compensation to generations of African-Americans affected by discrimination can be given as reparations. Most importantly, Coates argues that the prospect of reparations should be at the very least discussed. Approving Congressman John Conyers Jr.’s HR 40 bill would open up that discussion. Whether reparations are given or not, Coates stresses that the United States cannot continue to claim to be the example for liberty, freedom, or a democracy if it continues to refuse to recognize the damages that have been imposed on blacks for the gain of the nation (Coates, 2014). The issue with discussing reparations seems to lie in not knowing how much reparation is enough, or how much and to whom they will be given

America has gone through a terrible past. It has once decided to own people as property and deprive African Americans of their liberties and enslaved them. Since then, the United States has attempted to repair this mistake through reparations. The legal reparations of the United States have unsuccessfully redressed individual and social injustices by failing to alleviate the pain caused to the African American community. The Harm caused by Slavery still continues to be suffered by the community through this day.

It is important to note that in the event that it cannot be determined whether a

Taj has put to gather a beautiful written article titled a case for reparations. With a combination between real life testimony’s and facts, Taj has constructed an argument for a case for reparations. With the help from former slave’s and people that existed back during the time of slavery and oppression, Mr.Cotes has painted a picture of why blacks should get some form of reparations. Although Mr.Cotes wasn’t born into slavery is apparent that he has a direct and strong opinion about the Subject. Mr. Cotes started his argument with a few quotes form the bible and a philosopher named John Locke, who was one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers and was known as the "Father of Classical Liberalism. Then Mr.Cotes follows that argument with a personal testimony from a man named Clyde Ross who endured oppression and discrimination during his life time. Mr. Cotes uses Clyde’s experiences to explain to Mr. Cote’s readers about the injustices that blacks faced in the housing market. Mr. Cotes uses Chicago as an example of how blacks were being targeted by contractors which ultimately made them rich while making the black community poor. Mr. Cotes stated that, “black families making $100,000 typically live in the kinds of neighborhoods inhabited by white families making $30,000”.

In an idealistic democratic America, one likes to think that everyone is free and everyone is equal. However, this is not the complete truth; we still battle injustice and work to treat everyone fairly every single day. But what is the truth is that we have come a long way and that we have improved over time. Slavery before the Civil War is important in U.S. history because not only was it involved in various significant events; it also shows us how far our society has come.

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.

Slavery still affects the African American community to this day, creating a social divide between races through the belief reparations are due from the horrible events of the past. Reparations would still need to be given to African Americans for the inhuman treatment of their past ancestors, and the social inequality that followed after the Union’s victory of the Civil War. The United States repaying African Americans for their horrible past would bring justice to the those who actually faced the effects of slavery. While reparations seem like a sensible way to pay back the African American community, people have argued they no longer deserve this repayment. Since current African Americans have not lived through the hardships of their ancestors,

Slavery is an unethical practice, and this wrongdoing should be acknowledged. The U.S. government is not taking blame for this practice nor will take it upon themselves to make up for its citizens that did enslave African Americans. This is not the first time where our nation has acted immorally and was pushed to make amends. Native Americans received compensations from the U.S., as did Japanese Americans who were imprisoned during the Second World War by the Roosevelt government. All of these reparations however did occur after the formation of the U.S. government and the constitution that set the guidelines for governing. The thirteenth amendment officially labeled slavery an unlawful practice. Government is not supporting reparations, which as in the constitution, does not make them responsible for any of the previous

In conclusion African Americans suffering during slavery and their free labor is the base of this country’s economy. Today's African Americans were robbed of their inheritance. Many of the problems African Americans face is the result of slavery.The reparations will give African Americans the economic opportunity they

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

Receiving reparations of any type or form would never be able to replace the lives that were drove to ruin. Cutting a check out of guilt would not make up the many Black individuals who centuries ago were forced to forsake their lives, families, culture, religion, language, and dreams for a new life that crushed them into the dirt at every opportunity. Not to mention the irreparable damage that has caused me, my friends, family and community to be robbed out of every single piece of culture we can never get back. And the worst part about reparations is for it to take place, that would mean that our enslavers would have to acknowledge slavery of Africans as a whole. Which I know will be a wish that will never come to fruition.

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.

The relevance of history of slavery is illustrating how the American political culture presents the issue of antislavery activism which faces challenges attempting to develop public awareness and understanding and support. Enslaves African might have created wealth for the America and the European, on the other hand led to discriminations, segregations, poor social economic status, racism, and inequality for black people. Africa became the source of the supply of gold and other commodities to the Europeans. Products from West African, especially West African gold were prized by the world at large (Waldin, 2013). As the demand for labor increased in the American colonists and the need for African labor increased in the plantations in the colonies, the American colonists under the British Empire sought out Africans to work in the plantations and then started the slave trade across the Atlantic

I am in total agreement with your precise assessment of the maltreatment and exploitation of the African slaves. How dare they flaunt the misuse of our forefather’s well-earned freedoms from our past oppressors? Do they not remember the sufferings of the American people prior to the Revolutionary War? How daunting and belittled they were by their masters’ empowerment over their lives and freedoms? No matter how we recollect our own past of injustice, it could never compare to the ill-treatment the black slaves had to endure each day to survive in this world of slavery. Mr. Benjamin Lay best describes this injustice through the following quote, “But I know no worse engine devil has to make widows and fatherless children,

In 1619, a Dutch ship docked in Jamestown, Virginia. Twenty African slaves were traded to Jamestown in exchange for food and supplies (Africans in America: The Terrible Transformation). The slaves were given a status similar to the status of indentured servants; they would serve the same terms, and work the same jobs. However, slave conditions began to slowly worsen over time. This event planted the seed for years of debates about the cause and justification of the dehumanization of slaves: if slavery was a utilized for profit, or a result of prejudice. Slavery was not a strategic plan to churn out a profit, but rather, it was a product of a man’s own desire for political and social dominance. Slaves were degraded to something less than human; their race was considered a sin by the church. Africans were also given more severe punishments from the court than their white counterparts for the same crime. Looking into this topic further, it becomes evident that the slavery had stemmed from the racial prejudice driven by the urge for white social and political dominance.