This paper analyses the article "The Case for Reparations" by Nehisi Coates. It argues that injustices such as segregation do not just affect the direct victims but even the generations that come after that. The inequality between the whites and blacks in America is because of years of segregation and policies that sought to suppress the blacks. I aver that it is not possible to deal with racial equality without addressing the past injustices. The argument that the perpetrators and victims of the racial segregation and slavery are long dead and, therefore, there can be no reparations does not hold water. Like Nehisi, I hold the view that the actions of a nation transcend generations and a nation must take responsibility even for acts committed many centuries before. In this paper, I will argue that the best way to correct the inequality in our country is through reparation because no nation can chat its destiny without acknowledging its past. We must, therefore, right our wrongs.
Reparation is the only way to address the injustices committed to the African Americans. America is founded on the principles of equality and freedom yet for a long time the country had sections of her population deprived of such rights. The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 provided the basis for compensation of Japanese Americans who were interned during the Second World War. However, there is no legislation providing for the reparations of African Americans who suffered injustices which were at the time condoned by the states. Many scholars have written on the issue of reparation of African Americans. Some of the scholars have argued that reparation involves the moral duty to apologize and to take remedial actions to make the apology tangible.[1] I agree with this definition and affirm that it is not enough to recognise that injustices were committed to African Americans. Action must be taken to alleviate the impacts of the wrongs.
Nehisi's text "The Case for Reparations" profoundly delves into the debate on whether the blacks in America. It gives real stories of the blacks who were subjugated and denied the chance to live a life of dignity. The sufferings include the separation of families and the deprivation of possession. Long after the end of slavery, blacks in states such as Mississippi continued to be discriminated against. The black kids could not board the same school buses as the white kids. Further, white people had the right to deprive blacks of their property. The blacks who moved away from the state in search of a better life still faced challenges. In Chicago, the blacks could still not get financing from lending institutions to purchase homes forcing them to go through intermediaries who in turn exploited the blacks. Attempts to get justice were futile since the juries were mainly white dominated. There is a correlation between racial segregation and poverty levels.[2] The impacts of the discrimination can still be felt where areas dominated by blacks have high levels of crimes. More black children are ending up in incarceration.
In conclusion, Nehisi's text correctly points out that the current levels of racial inequality are mainly based on past injustices. Blacks have to work harder than their white counterparts to attain success in life. Reparations should involve acknowledging the injustices and taking remedial actions which include affirmative action programs. Most politicians have, however, evaded the debate on reparation perhaps out of the fear of its financial implications. Putting off such debate does not solve the inequality challenge. It only postpones the problem.
Bibliography
Bower, Kelly M., Roland J. Thorpe Jr, Charles Rohde, and Darrell J. Gaskin. "The intersection of neighborhood racial segregation, poverty, and urbanicity and its impact on food store availability in the United States." Preventive medicine 58 (2014): 33-39.
Obuah, Emmanuel E. "The Politics of Reparations: The Academic Epistemic Communities and the Implications of Reparation Debate on African-American and Africa’s Quest for Reparations." Open Journal of Political Science 6, no. 01 (2015): 44.
[1] Emmanuel E. Obuah. "The Politics of Reparations: The Academic Epistemic Communities and the Implications of Reparation Debate on African-American and Africa’s Quest for Reparations." Open Journal of Political Science 6, no. 01 (2015): 44.
[2] Kelly M. Bower, Thorpe Jr. Ronald J., Rohde Rohde, and Gaskin J. Darrell. "The intersection of neighborhood racial segregation, poverty, and urbanicity and its impact on food store availability in the United States." Preventive medicine 58 (2014): 33-39.
