Throughout the ‘The Case for Reparations’, I kept on thinking about Michelle Alexander’s statement in’The New Jim Crow’ that revealed how the racial caste system in America is just redesigned. This re-branding of discrimination towards the black community prevents them from fulfilling their natural rights. John Locke stated that an individual’s natural rights includes life, liberty and property. However, individuals from the black community are unable to execute their natural rights due to the disadvantages America implements on them. According to Ta-Nehisi Coates, during the 1930s through the 1960s, black individuals were cut out from the “legitimate home-mortgage market through means both legal and extralegal”. Coates also includes sections throughout the reading illustrating this social hierarchy that is dominated by whites as well as the normalization of segregation. Now post 50 years, some may say that segregation does not exist, however, it does take into new forms as society modernizes. It’s harder to distinguish and easier to manipulate which connects to Alexander’s statement that America is utilizing legal methods to induce discrimination. For example, the faulty infrastructure of the criminal justice system that allows others to immediately call black and poc individuals ‘criminals’. This is harder for us to realize because to us, we are just completing our duty by following the laws as a devoted citizen.
5 thoughts on “The Case for Reparations”
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It’s scary how deeply ingrained so many of these policies are in our everyday life. For black Americans, or all people of color, to receive the same treatment as their white counterparts they need to expend twice as much effort for half the results. When they want to make progress, they’re stunted by another road block that continues to discriminate (in a different fashion). For Coates it was growing up under the whims of his white neighbors and later being exploited by a white homeowner.
I like how you brought up “The New Jim Crow” as it does relate to this article in the sense that it is also about how racism has been re branded over the years. The new Jim Crow was about mass incarceration while “The Case for Reparations” focused on the unfair housing system. The housing system is built to arrest black residents more easily through building more jail centers over schools. However I would like to change the topic and argue about the natural rights you mentioned. Jefferson’s “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” is a phrase that is for everybody – all of humanity. The reason I bring up Thomas Jefferson over John Locke is because at the time, black people were slaves and didn’t have property that they owned. To me, John Locke’s statement was more centered around protecting the already existing wealthy class. It is also ironic how America’s version on John Locke’s “Life, Liberty, and Property” felt more inclusive and yet policies were built to exclude certain people from gaining wealth. So that promise of happiness was a lie.
That’s a fantastic point. Jefferson (a famous slave owner himself) re-appropriates the Lockeian phrase to deflate it of specific meaning. Oh boy do we continue to hear statements like this today.
Hi Nafisa, I enjoyed reading your case for reparations very much. One thing that I enjoyed from your writing was how the criminal justice system was just an excuse to call people of color criminals. Overall, I think you did a good job. Keep it up!
I love the fact that you brought up the “redesigning of slavery” because I feel it is a perfect connection. the way that slavery is described by Coates is clearly much harsher, but today there is til oppression against blacks and in many cases, the way they are treated is very reminiscent of the stuff that Coates talks about. great work!