The Case for Reparations
The story “The case for reparations” was authored by Ta-Nehisi Coates. It is associated with the historical perspective about the reparations on the slavery incidences that took place in America. Moreover, it is indicated through the story on the economics, slavery, and racial discrimination that had a connection, such as the housing crisis that was conducted in Chicago. Therefore, Coates’ article that is published in 2014 in The Atlantic builds on the housing policy that was used to discriminate the African-Americans in the United States (Brooks 67). It is apparent to ascertain that Coates’ essay seeks to reveal racism and systematic oppression that exists in the American states.
Coates establishes the theme of racism as a significant issue among black communities. The author builds on the effects of using the lens of housing as a means of facilitating racism. Coates also engages in showcasing the widespread racism within the lifestyles of Americans. The story is developed through the character Clyde Ross whose childhood life indicates the race segregations that existed in the communities (Coates 65). The author further reveals on discrimination of blacks in the Wells Fargo organizations, African-Americans are portrayed as individuals from the mud. Systematic oppression is also brought through Obama’s affirmative action, which the author criticizes. However, it is correct to develop that Coates believes in the effects of racial oppression to affect every black individual regardless of the social status.
Symbolism is revealed through homeownership that portrays the rise in the social class level among blacks as well as build on the consequences of racism among them. The author also makes use of the symbol of pirate flags to depict crimes conducted against African-Americans in the country. Dramatic irony is brought out in the story through the phrase that homes were bought on the contract (Jaffe-Notier 10). The black people who purchased the houses were not aware that it was on contracts and had to pay massive mortgages.