Rakira Urquhart

7th Hour

12/30/16

Mrs. Williams

Change-Is It Possible?

History has a habit of repeating itself, and it is in the best interest of America it does not. Commented [1]: Change~history has a habit of
repeating itself, but for America's sake, lets hope
tradition breaks this time around.
No matter how difficult it is for society to admit it, everyone knows it is human nature to dislike

change. The passing down of old fashioned ideas from generation to generation halts the

progressive wave of life. Not only that, but the excruciating pain of getting people to break out of Commented [2]: It is common for ideas to be passed
down from generation to generation, as a result,
resisting change is apart of human nature.
their comfort zone is almost impossible. People wonder why white supremacy is still present in

todays society, yet they still carry the same racist views their ancestors did hundreds of years

before. In The Case for Reparations written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Coates reflects on the history Commented [3]: It is almost as if breaking a habits is
equivalent to stabbing your own self in the back. *move
second sent. to diff. paragraph
of slavery, redlining, Jim Crow, and systematic racism. Never being repaid for the horrors

African-Americans endured, Coates argues that black people deserve reparations. Morally Commented [4]: and why African Americans deserve
reparations for suffering our ancestors endured
speaking a person cannot owe a debt based on actions of previous generations. Impersonal

institutions, such as the police force, can embody a combined guilt for any and everyone who is

associated with them. Commented [5]: Morally speaking, a person cannot

owe a debt based on the actions of their ancestors;
nonetheless, impersonal institutions-such as the police
It would be unfair to blame someone or a group of people for the wrongdoings of past force- can embody a combined guilt for the negative
acts associated with them.
generations. Equally, the stealing of an entire races livelihood for centuries-- without

reparations--is unjust. A quote from Coates article that reads American prosperity was built on Commented [6]: To blame a group of people for the
wrongdoings of generations that came before them
would be unfair; similarly, stealing the livelihood of an
two and a half centuries of slavery, a deep wound that has never been healed or fully atoned entire race for more than 200 years without reparations
is unjust
for(said page 55). This statement speaks to the affirmation that African-Americans should Commented [7]: delete
Commented [8]: the case for reparations page 55--
receive reparations. No one wants to hear how blacks should forget slavery or stop living in combine next sent.
Commented [9]: confirmation
the past; it is impossible to move on without closure. Similarly, Ishaan Tharoor article U.S. Commented [10]: It is mind boggling how some have
the nerve to say "stop living in the past" and "forget
slavery" when issues like white supremacy and
owes black people reparations for a history of racial terrorism is supportive of Coates systemic racism still exist.

argument. One example from Tharoors article includes, Contemporary police killings and the

trauma that they create are reminiscent of past racial terror of lynching. It is true society cannot Commented [11]: delete first sent. Add~Coating
peanuts with chocolate, still makes them peanuts; and
killing off blacks is all the same no matter what method
blame todays generations for past mistakes however you can fault them for the wrongdoings in you use.

the present. Constantly being angry at history will not fix anything, it is best to work on the Commented [12]: blame new generations for our
history however you can fault them for keeping those
same ideals alive.
future.
Commented [13]: delete
Impersonal institutions can hold a combined guilt for anyone associated with it. The

police police force, which has a lot of unfortunate encounters with African-Americans, is an

example of an impersonal institution where everyone does not feel the same. Police brutality is Commented [14]: delete first sent. In recent decades
the police force has had a a lot of unfortunate
encounters with African- Americans and happens way
an issue that is not new, but has come about partly because of racial profiling, and false too often to go unnoticed.

stereotypes. In Ta-Nehisi Coates novel, Between the World and Me, he tells the story of a friend Commented [15]: Because of racial profiling,
stereotypes, and a zero tolorence for the race, police
brutality among blacks is at its peak.
named Prince Jones. Jones was a college friend of Coates and he was victim of police brutality.

According to Coates, Prince Jones was wrongfully accused of a crime he did not commit, and for

that he lost his life. Police officers who commit those crimes are hardly ever punished for it, and Commented [16]: combine sent.
Commented [17]: more often than not,
there are other officers who agree they should be. Some people view all police officers as bad,
Commented [18]: delete

but that is because of the actions of a few. There should not be a shared guilt between those cops Commented [19]: this does a huge disjustice to our
community.

who participate in brutality and those who fight against it. Comparatively to how some white
people in the past supported the Civil Rights Movement and were looked down upon by others of
their race. Every person has their own mind and has the power to fight for what they choose.
In contrast to believing reparations will help our country move forward, there is the idea
Commented [20]: people view the police force as one,
and look down upon the whole system when a situation
like this occurs;conversely every cop is not same, in
fact some officers are disgusted by the actions of their
counterparts.
Commented [21]: There should not be a shared guilt
between the officers who participate in these hatred
acts and those who do not, if everything is done in their
power to stop it. *delete other sent.

that restitutions are not necessary. Just reading the title of Kevin D. Williams article, The Case

Against Reparations you can tell where he stands. Williams argues that Coates argument is not Commented [22]: delete
convincing enough to justify reparations. In his article Williams states ,The people to whom

reparations were owed are long dead; our duty it to the living[and future generations]... This

may be trued, but future generations are currently being affected by the past. For instance, Coates
mentions a neighborhood called North Lawndale in his article and writes,...North Lawndale is
now on the wrong end of virtually every socioeconomic indicator, The city was victim to
Commented [23]: Kevin D. Williams, author of The
Case Against Reparations, argues that Coates purpose
is not convincing enough to his readers; he justifies this
by stating,"The people to whom reparations were owed
are long dead; our duty is to the living..." Williams'
statement is one sided and he forgets that African-
Americans are still being negatively affected by history.

redlining and white flight. For as long as the could, Whites kept blacks out of their Commented [24]: Take North Lawndale for example, a
town victim to redlining and white flight and as Coates
puts it "...on the wrong end of virtually every
neighborhoods, once they(blacks) were allowed in, they fled. As a result, North Lawndale is socioeconomic indicator,"

currently living below the poverty line. It would not be fair to say that history does not have a Commented [25]: delete

long lasting effect on the future. Commented [26]: Anyone who says that those who
are owed restitutions are close minded and not looking
at the bigger picture.
History is something that cannot be altered; all we can do is keep it from repeating itself.
Commented [27]: History is set in stone and cannot be
changed, the only thing we can can is learn from it and
I remember a time when I attended a volleyball tournament in Mt. Morris, Michigan; my team prevent the same events from happening.

and I were treated horribly. We were a successful all black team and the white referees, as well

as the fans, did everything they could to make us loose; including shout racial slurs. This was an

unfortunate experience that taught me racists are still out there in the world and time will

probably never change that. With that being said, I also know that all white people are not the

same way and stand by African-Americans. This is why blaming all white people for the Commented [28]: delete

oppression of blacks is unethical. Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat Commented [29]: delete

it.-(George Santayana). America and all of its hapless citizens are on the road to a future infused

with history. Commented [30]: America and all of its citiens who do
not learn from the mistakes of their ancestors are
setting themselves up for a timeless loop.