Ta-Nehisi Coates The Case For Reparations Analysis

“The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehisi Coates is a powerful article discussing many reasons on why african americans should receive some form of reparations from the united states of america. Before diving into his reasoning let's take a look at Ta-Nehisi Coates background. Ta-Nehisi, born September 30, 1975, in Baltimore, Maryland. Ta-Nehisi’s father Paul Coates is a Vietnam War veteran and former Black Panther. His mother, Cheryl Waters is a teacher. Ta-Nehisi attended Howard University where he would study journalism. Currently Coates is a national correspondent for the magazine the Atlantic. Coates has also contributed to the washington post, washington monthly, and the new york times. Ta-Nehsi background alone establishes credibility
To even out that playing field, Coates makes the argument that they need reparations from the government.
Ta-Nehisi really sets the tone of his article in his subheading. Coates writes, “Two hundred fifty years of slavery. Ninety years of Jim Crow. Sixty years of separate but equal. Thirty-five years of racist housing policy. Until we reckon with our compounding moral debts, America will never be whole.” Coates chooses this opportune moment in today’s world to jumpstart a truthful discussion of all the terrible acts inflicted on black people throughout america's history. During the years of slavery black people were held captivate and used as free labor, not to mention all the evil acts that were done to blacks, such as sexual assault and abuse , Instruments of Torture, Whipping, shackling, lynching, burning and castration. The united states of america was built by africans at no monetary cost. In today’s economy every african american should be a millionaire. Just think about working from the early morning to the late evening every single day in bondage getting physically and mentally
Clyde Ross was born in 1923 near clarksdale, mississippi in the midst of Jim Crow. Ross’s parents owned and farmed a 40-acre tract of land, flush with cows, hogs, and mules. Ross’s family is just like any other family in america living a normal life. Mississippi official would soon seize their land claiming that his dad owed $3000 in back taxes. This was a typical theft of black owned land. As Clyde grew older he was drafted in the army and fought in World War II. Clyde would later migrate to Chicago seeking the protection of the law. Clyde would soon fall in trap of redlining. According to Coates, “Redlining went beyond FHA-backed loans and spread to the entire mortgage industry, which was already rife with racism, excluding black people from most legitimate means of obtaining a mortgage.” Whites could rely on a credit system backed by the government but blacks like Clyde Ross were herded into the sights of unscrupulous lenders who took them for money and for sport. Ross would join the Contract Buyers League, they demanded payback of all monetary cost and improvements made. The Contract Buyers League wanted restitution from the crime committed against their community. Reparations were being sought after.

Coates develops his logos using the income gap between black and white households. The income gap between black and white households is roughly the same today as it was in 1970. Blacks usually live in