ipl-logo

The Pros And Cons Of Reparations To African Americans

888 Words4 Pages

Jiovanni Lopez
Toni Fannin
English 122-5504
27 April 2023
Will Reparations be Enough
The question of whether or not the United States government should pay some form of reparations to African Americans is a complicated problem, with strong arguments on both sides. Including arguments from Steven Dubner which he mentioned in “The Pros and Cons of Reparations” podcast. “On one hand, many argue that the United States government has systematically created barriers for African Americans, such as redlining, which denied them access to home ownership and the ability to create generational wealth. As a result, many Black Americans have been unable to accumulate wealth for generations, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and inequality.” These systematic …show more content…

and the effects of discrimination, we still see today, the question of whether or not the government should provide reparations is one to take into deep understanding and consideration. After reading from the sources provided and examining the arguments and evidence of both sides, many would argue that reparations would be too hard to implement or that they undermine individuals who have surpassed the need for reparations. These arguments overlook the deep history of economic and social factors that have limited the opportunities and resources available to Black Americans. So I do believe that the government should pay a sum to those who have had to deal with generations of discrimination and inequality and that it is the best option to start the process of understanding and …show more content…

As mentioned in The Impossibility of Reparations, David Frum "The fact is, reparations are impossible—not just practically, but philosophically. The very word implies a transaction between those who did wrong and those who were wronged. But the people who were wronged are no longer here, and the people who did wrong are no longer the same people." And while it's easy to see where he is coming from and although the people who were wronged are no longer here the figure of the government is still relevant and so are the memories of who and how they were wronged, so is it really out of the question for the government to acknowledge the

Show More
Related
484 Words | 2 Pages

Slavery played a crucial role in the development of the American economy, and the exploitation of African American labor contributed to the accumulation of wealth and power by white Americans. The Jim Crow era and ongoing discrimination against African Americans in the workplace have continued this legacy of exploitation, leading to a significant wealth gap between white and black Americans. Both Block and Jones highlight the importance of understanding the historical context in which capitalism developed and how it has contributed to social and economic inequalities. They argue that capitalism alone is not sufficient for promoting social justice and equality, and that government intervention is necessary to regulate the market and redistribute wealth. Block suggests that the government should have a more active role in promoting social welfare programs, such as education and healthcare, to ensure that all citizens have access to the resources necessary to thrive.

Read More
156 Words | 1 Pages

Reparations for slavery is the idea that some form of compensatory payment should be made to the descendants of Africans who had been enslaved as part of the Atlantic Slave Trade. With that being said, I don’t believe this essay is a case for reparations. Coates never gives the breakdown of what the United States reparation would look like. He never tells us, his readers, how the system would work, or how anyone would actually make the political case for it. This argument is not about reparations for slavery, either.

Read More
96 Words | 1 Pages

The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates is an article issue in June 2014. The article is about discrimination, segregation, and racism toward black Americans. Two and a half centuries ago American success was built on slavery. And in present day African American are being discriminated for the color of their skin that even now the wound that black Americans face in their daily life has never been healed or fully atoned for. In this article Ta-Nehisi Coates discusses the struggle African American went through and all the hard time they face in their daily

Read More
887 Words | 4 Pages

He had to take some of his children out of private school.” (Coates 30). Coates shows that the black population’s wealth was taken away by America. Black populations have to work twice the hard or more to achieve the same goals the white populations and most of their wealth were taken .Even though the black population was aware that they were trick and ripped off by the seller but they can’t do anything about it.

Read More
615 Words | 3 Pages

In his article, Coates argues that the idea of reparations needs to have an important place in discussions of race in America. Coates doesn’t argue that a great sum of taxpayer dollars be given to every African American. It is impossible to come up with a lump sum of money that would pay for hundreds of years of enslavement and abuse. Instead, Coates argues that the idea of reparations is what is important. That African Americans need start considering

Read More
1937 Words | 8 Pages

The Reconstruction Era was a developmental time in the advancement of the American Nation. While the founding fathers original institution for the country was ahead in its time, it was flawed and began to show in the Reconstruction period. Before the Civil War had began a group of Radical Republicans formed another political party who were intent on fighting for the political, social and basic human rights of African Americans. They stood against the socially controversially gains of the capitalist society that was devoted to glorifying those based on the whiteness of their skin. After the Civil War ended the United States had to reintegrate a formally slave population back into the country which proved to be excessively difficult.

Read More
491 Words | 2 Pages

The landowners took advantage of their tenants by overcharging for land and underpaying for the crops. The tenants began falling deeper into debt. They could not leave until they paid off their debt, which was nearly impossible. Although former slaves had been freed, they were still facing many struggles in free life. America’s plan for reconstruction had good intent, but did not give African Americans the equality they deserved.

Read More
570 Words | 3 Pages

In the article “The Case for Reparation” by Coates, Clyde Ross explains his story growing up that happened to many African Americans. Although Africans weren’t slaves anymore they also were not equal to whites. With dreams of his own home Ross saved money for a house he bought but didn’t completely buy because he had a strange contract attached. He had the responsibility of a homeowner but none of the benefits. Unfortunately, many were kicked out from their homes, with all their money gone and forced to leave in neighborhoods with cheaper housing.

Read More
1064 Words | 5 Pages

Tensions rose across the country from those in support support of slavery and those opposed. Many states wanted to outlaw slavery while others adamantly defended it because it was the main institution with a high and consistent revenue. Ultimately, the disagreements over slavery are what lead to the Civil War. The country divided into an “Us versus Them” situation which lead to both sides having growing support for their views and making the groups less susceptible to an agreement. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which freed slaves from confederate states.

Read More
910 Words | 4 Pages

“Long, hot summers” of rioting arose and many supporters of the African American movement were assassinated. However, these movements that mused stay ingrained in America’s history and pave way for an issue that continues to be the center of

Read More
422 Words | 2 Pages

However, changes that were made during Reconstruction greatly impacted the lives of many African Americans. While some efforts were made to achieve a status of equality, many suffered continuous discrimination and were denied (deprived of) their basic civil

Read More
293 Words | 2 Pages

The reparations movement was originally created to primarily help black people gain their own self-sufficiency. The movement began with those like Callie House and Queen Mother Audley, those who wanted African-Americans to heal on their own. They worked for reparations that would help them gain political rights, land, education, their own churches, and healthcare. Most of the movement, the older members especially, believed that the focus should be on helping the members that were unable to help themselves. Over time, as African-Americans started to get educated and started to understand their rights, they began to move towards the political scene and towards more "monetary-based" reparations.

Read More
341 Words | 2 Pages

As white people do you ever ask yourself if your race does not play a part in our perception? I get it that being black gives people an intimate knowledge of the affects that reparations would give to them and the role it would play in their lives, but do any white people ever ask if a myopia (if you don 't know what that means is a condition of seeing things clearly up close but relatively blind to the far things) and a certain amount of privilege changes your point of view? Reparations aren 't about "white people" paying blacks for stuff their ancestors did. They 're about the United States of America compensating for depriving a piece of its population of human rights for generations, through slavery, forced segregation and Jim Crow.

Read More
326 Words | 2 Pages

This year’s observance of Black History Month has caused controversy for excluding non African-American blacks. With this year’s increased racial progress, it is time for all blacks to be included in this celebration. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's most recent statistics, there are around 4 million Caribbean-Americans and an estimated 1.9 million African immigrants in the US. Very little of their history is mentioned and president Obama even deemed the celebration “African-American Month.”

Read More
324 Words | 2 Pages

The Reconstruction for black Americans was a time for a change, it provided the once enslaved people the freedom of movement (Schultz 2014). With this freedom came wonderful things, such as the right to obtain property, the benefit of more control over their family situations, and many were able to reunite with family members. Consequently, an uncounted amount of them left the plantation life they were accustomed to where they were able to join the forces of the yeoman and working-classes in some cases. The Freedman's Bureau, established in 1865, foresaw the need for schools to be established in the South so now receiving an education became possible for black Americans (Schultz 2014). Another right they gained was voting, which was taken very

Read More

More about The Pros And Cons Of Reparations To African Americans

Related Topics

Open Document