Each response should be at least 150 words. Based on the arguments and discussion from the course materials, do you believe that people who have their needs met and are able to purchase some luxuries

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POLITICS

R ea d T a-N eh is i Co ate s’s T estim on y o n

Rep ara tio n s

“ e q uestio n r ea lly is no t w heth er w e’l l be tie d t o t he s om eth ing s o f o ur p ast, bu t

wheth er w e a re co ura g eo u s e no ugh t o be tie d t o t he w hole o f t hem .”

B y O li via Pasch al a nd Mad ele ine C arli s le

P aul Marotta / Getty

J UNE 19, 2019

Sub sc rib e

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Fiv e y ea rs a go , t he jou rn ali st T a-N ehi si C oa te s p ubli she d “  e C ase f or R ep ara tio n s ” i n

 e A tla ntic , a cov er s to ry t ha t wo uld r ein vig o ra te n atio n al d isc u ssi o n o ver d eb ts o w ed f or

sla ver y a nd d isc r im in atio n a ga in st b la ck A meric a n s. T od ay, o n Ju n ete en th , he is t est ify in g

at a H ou se he arin g o n H .R. 40, a bill t ha t w ou ld e st a b li sh a com missi o n t o s tu dy

re p ara tio n s. I t’s t he rst s uch he arin g i n m ore t ha n a d eca d e.

B elo w , t he full t ex t o f hi s o pen in g s ta te m en t a s d eli v ere d :

Y este rd ay, w hen a ske d a bo ut r epa ra tio ns , S ena te M ajo rit y L ea d er M it ch M cConne ll

o ff ere d a fam ili a r r epl y: A merica shou ld no t be held lia bl e f or s om eth ing that

h appe ned 150 y ea rs a go , s ince none of u s cu rre nt ly a li v e a re r esp ons ibl e.  is r ebu tta l

pr off ers a str a ng e th eo ry o f g overn ance , that A merica n a cco unt s a re s om eh ow bo und

by th e l if e tim e o f its gene ra tio ns . B ut w ell i nt o t his ce ntury , t he U nite d S ta te s w as s till

pa ying out pe nsio ns to th e h eir s o f C iv il W ar s old ie rs. W e h ono r t re a tie s t hat d ate

ba ck s om e 200 y ea rs, d espite no one be ing ali v e w ho s ig ne d t hose t re a tie s. M any of u s

wou ld love to be taxed f or th e th ing s w e a re s ole ly a nd ind iv id u all y r esp ons ibl e f or.

B ut w e a re A merica n citiz ens , a nd thus bo und to a co lle ct iv e e nt erp ris e t hat e xte nd s

beyo nd our ind ivid ual a nd pe rso n al r ea ch . It w ou ld s eem rid icu lo u s t o d is p u te

inv oca tio ns of th e F ou nd ers, o r th e G re a te st G ene ra tio n, o n the ba sis o f a lack of

m em be rsh ip in eith er g ro u p. W e r e co gni ze o ur l ine ag e a s a g ene ra tio na l t ru st, a s

inh erit a nce , and th e r ea l d ile m ma p ose d b y r ep ara tio ns is j u st t hat: a dile m ma o f

inh erit a nce . It is im possibl e to im ag ine America w it h ou t t he i nh erit a nce of s la v ery .

A s h is to ria n E d B aptis t h as w rit te n, e nsla v em ent “sh ap ed e very cr uci al a sp ect o f t he

eco no my a nd po li t ics ” o f A merica , s o t hat b y 1836 m ore t han $600 milli o n, a lm ost

h alf o f th e e co no mic a ctivity in the U nite d S ta te s, d eriv ed d ir e ct ly o r i nd ir e ct ly f ro m

th e co tto n pr od u ce d b y th e m illi o n- od d s la v es. B y t he t im e t he e ns la v ed w ere

e m ancipa te d , th ey co mpris ed th e la rg est s ing le a sse t i n A merica .  re e bi lli o n i n 1860

dolla rs, m ore th an a ll th e o th er a sse ts i n t he co unt ry co mbine d.

 e m eth od o f cu lt iv ating th is a sse t w as ne it h er g ent le ca jo li ng no r p ersu asio n, bu t

to rtu re , ra pe, a nd ch ild tra fficking . Ensla v em ent reig ne d f or 250 y ea rs o n t hese s hore s. 7/15/2021 Ta-Nehisi Coates's T estimony to the House on Reparations - The Atlantic

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When it end ed , th is co untr y co uld h av e e xte nd ed its h allo w ed p rinci ple s—l if e ,

li be rty , a nd th e pu rsu it o f h appines s—t o a ll , r eg ard le ss o f co lo r. B ut A merica had

o th er principl es in m ind . A nd so f or a ce ntury a ft e r t he C iv il W ar, bl ack peo p le w ere

s u bj ecte d to a rele ntl ess ca mpa ig n o f t erro r, a ca mpaig n t hat e xte nd ed w ell i nt o t he

li f e tim e o f M ajo rit y L ea d er M cConne ll.

I t is te mpting to div o rce th is m od ern ca mpaig n o f t erro r, o f p lu nd er, f ro m

ens la v em ent, bu t th e l ogic o f e ns la v em ent , o f w hit e s upre m acy , r esp ect s no such

bo rd ers a nd th e g uard o f bo ndag e w as l u stfu l a nd be gat m any heir s. C ou p d ’é ta ts a nd

co nvict l ea sing . V ag ra ncy law s a nd debt peo na ge. R ed li ni ng and raci st G .I. bi lls . P oll

t a x es a nd sta te -s po nsore d te rro ris m . W e g ra nt that M r. M cConne ll w as no t a li v e f or

A ppo matto x. B ut h e w as a li v e f or t he e le ct ro cu tio n o f G eo rg e S tinne y. H e w as a li v e

fo r th e bl ind ing of I sa ac W ood ard . H e w as a li v e t o w it ne ss k le p to cr acy in h is na tiv e

A la ba ma a nd a reg im e pr em is e d o n e le ct ora l t heft . M ajo rit y L ea d er M cConne ll ci te d

civil -r ig h ts l eg is la tio n y este rd ay, a s w ell h e s hou ld , be cause h e w as a li v e t o w it ne ss t he

hara ssm ent, j aili ng , and be tr a y al o f t hose r esp ons ibl e f or t hat l eg is la tio n b y a

g o vernm ent s worn to prote ct th em . H e w as a li v e f or t he r ed li ni ng of C hica go a nd the

lo oting of bl ack h om eo w ne rs o f s om e $4 bi lli o n. V ict im s o f t hat p lu nd er a re v ery

m uch ali v e to day. I am sure th ey ’d love a w ord w it h t he m ajo rit y l ea d er.

R ECO M MEN DED R EA D IN G

Every o n e W an ts t o T alk A bo ut R ep ara tio n s. B ut f or H ow L on g?

ADAM HARRIS

 e Ca se f or R ep ara tio n s

TA-NEHISI COATES 7/15/2021 Ta-Nehisi Coates's T estimony to the House on Reparations - The Atlantic

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What th ey kno w, w hat th is co mmit te e m ust k no w, i s t hat w hile e m anci patio n d ea d -

bo lt e d th e d oor a gains t th e ba ndit s o f A merica , J im C ro w w ed ged t he w ind ow s w id e

ope n. A nd th at is th e th ing abo ut S ena to r M cConne ll’s “ so m eth ing ”: I t w as 150 y ea rs

a g o . A nd it w as rig ht no w.

 e ty pica l bl ack f am ily in th is co unt ry h as o ne -te nt h t he w ea lt h o f t he t yp ica l w hit e

fa m ily . B la ck w om en d ie in ch ild bir th a t f ou r t im es t he r ate o f w hit e w om en. A nd

th ere is , o f co urse , th e s ham e o f th is l and of t he f re e bo asting the l arg est p ris o n

po pu la tio n o n th e pl ane t, o f w hic h t he d esce nd ant s o f t he e ns la v ed m ak e u p t he

la rg est s hare .  e m atte r o f r epa ra tio ns is o ne of m ak ing am end s a nd dir e ct red re ss,

bu t it is als o a q uestio n o f citiz ens hip . I n H .R. 40, t his bo dy h as a chance to bo th

m ake good o n its 2009 a polo gy f or e ns la v em ent , a nd reje ct fair -w ea th er p atr io tis m , t o

sa y th at th is na tio n is both its cred it s a nd debi ts .  at i f  om as J eff erso n m atte rs, s o

does S ally H em ing s.  at if D -D ay m att e rs, s o d oes B la ck W all S tr e et.  at i f V alle y

F org e m atte rs, s o d oes F ort P illo w . B eca use t he q uestio n r ea ll y i s no t w heth er w e’l l be

t ie d to th e s om eth ing s o f o ur pa st, bu t w heth er w e a re co ura g eo u s e no ugh t o be tie d

to th e w hole o f th em .  ank y ou .

R ELAT E D V ID EOS

Bala n cin g t he L ed ge r o n J un ete en th

V ANN R. NEWKIRK II

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MOST P OPU LA R

Bid en I s S p ea k in g t o a n A m eric a T hat D oesn ’t E xis t

D AVID A. GRAHAM

T he T ru th B eh in d t h e A m azo n M yste ry S eed s

CHRIS HEATH

T he M ora l C olla p se o f J . D . V an ce

TOM NICHOLS

O li via Pasch al is an e dit o ria l f ello w at  e A tla n tic .

T witter

M ad ele ine C arli s le is an e dit o ria l f ello w at  e A tla n tic .

T witter 7/15/2021 Ta-Nehisi Coates's T estimony to the House on Reparations - The Atlantic

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The M yste ry a t t h e B ase o f O ne o f B io lo gy’s S tr a n gest

R ela tio n sh ip s

KATHERINE J. WU

C ash f o r K id s C om es t o t h e U nit e d S ta te s

ANNIE LOWREY

T here ’s a W ord f o r W hat T ru m pis m I s B ec o m in g

DAVID FRUM

W e C ou ld H av e C han ged t h e W orld

E KEMINI UWAN

M cD on ald 's C an 't F ig u re O ut H ow I ts W ork ers S u rv iv e o n M in im um W ag e

JORDAN WEISSMANN

4 G lo b al M od els f o r H ap pin ess

A RTHUR C. BROOKS

T he m RN A V accin es A re E xtr a o rd in ary , b u t N ovav ax I s E ven

B ette r

HILDA BASTIAN

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Id eas t h at m atte r. S in ce 1 8 57.

Sub sc rib e a n d s u p port o ve r 1 6 0 y e ars o f in d ep en d en t jo urn alis m .

SU BSC RIB E

A BO UT

C O NTA C T

PO DC ASTS

S U BSC RIP TIO N

FO LLO W

Priv a c y P o lic y D o N ot S ell M y P e rs o nal I n fo rm atio n A dve rtis in g G uid elin es Te rm s C ond it io ns R esp onsib le D is c lo su re S it e M ap

T h eA tla n tic .c o m C op yrig ht ( c ) 2 0 21 b y T h e A tla n tic M onth ly G ro up . A ll R ig hts R ese rv e d .

E ac h w eekd ay e ve n in g , g et a n o ve rv ie w o f t h e d ay ’s b ig gest n ew s, a lo ng w it h f a sc in atin g

id eas, im ag es, a n d p eo p le . S ee m ore n ew sle tte rs

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