inequality

As usual, read all the questions BEFORE reading the text. The questions will guide your reading and understanding of the text. As you read, take notes related to all the questions. Then answer the question(s) assigned to you. Effective answers will vary in length (75-125 words per question).

You may read the whole text, but I suggest reading from the second half of page 3 when the author writes: We, now, have finally arrived at the point of this essay. Starting from this page will minimize the amount of text read and will help you focus more on the authors main argument. The first three pages allude to the current racial crisis in the U.S. and explain the Black Lives Matter movement which you have learned about from watching the suggested videos on canvas.

q1 Hannah-Jones writes: We, now, have finally arrived at the point of this essay. Because when it comes to truly explaining racial injustice in this country, the table should never be set quickly: There is too much to know, and yet we aggressively choose not to know it (p. 3). She then proceeds through a U.S. history lesson for us to understand where systemic racism comes from. Explain the historical event/phenomenon assigned to you and how it contributed to or tried to address systemic racism. You can learn more about the historical phenomenon by briefly looking up more information online (but it is not needed).

Redemption (pg6) to answer q1

q2 Hannah-Jones writes: To summarize, none of the actions we are told black people must take if they want to lift themselves out of poverty and gain financial stability not marrying, not getting educated, not saving more, now owning a home can mitigate 400 years of racialized plundering. Wealth begets wealth, and white Americans have had centuries of government assistance to accumulate wealth, while the government has the vast history of this country worked against black Americans doing the same (p. 8-9). Why doesnt getting a college education and owning a home help African Americans lift themselves and transform their social class?

q3 What do you think of the authors argument about reparations as a way to help African Americans in the U.S.? To what extent do you think reparations are needed and feasible in the current context of the U.S.? ALL