The Case for Reparations

A model for paying reparations to an aggrieved ethnic group exists in the United States in the 1988 Civil Liberties Act, which paid reparations to Japanese Americans interned in relocation camps during World War II. What are the similarities and differences of that case to the case of slavery of African Americans? How might Coates have used the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 to bolster his argument?

In his article, Coates mentions the “Great Migration” of African Americans in the first half of the 20th century. What was the “Great Migration,” and what were its positive and negative consequences for African Americans? What long-term effects did it have for the United States in terms of culture, politics, economics, and demographics?

Examine the history of real estate practices in your city. Aside from federal regulations, which were the same everywhere, what local policies and decisions existed in the past to create the demographic pattern your city now has? Were any policies openly discriminatory against African Americans or other groups of people? Explain how these policies influenced the composition of and conditions in your city’s present-day neighborhoods.