Jim Crow. The Case for Reparations. Social Sciences Research Paper

Jim Crow
Student Name
Institutional Affiliation
Jim Crow
African Americans have a unique history that cannot be separated from slavery. Blacks have undergone numerous challenges even after the end of slavery. The inability to access resources has made it challenging for blacks to progress. White supremacy and oppressive institutional practices have made it difficult for them to participate effectively in the democratic process. While American should be a country where all individuals enjoy freedom, this has not been the case with the blacks. In the three articles, the author demonstrates how ignoring the history of African Americans continues to undermine democracy in the country.
“The Case for Reparations”
American seems to ignore the fact that the nation started in black plunder and white democracy. The founders of the independent U.S. were dedicated to upholding the principles of freedom and equality. The problem is that a majority of these white founders either held black slaves or were willing to work with those who did (Coates, 2014, p. 27). These founders had inherited slaves from the previous generation. At the same time, they were concerned about the need for individual freedom. While the founders were not comfortable with the issue of slavery, they did not want to take responsibility for it. Having such kind of founders has served to undermine the progress of democracy in the country. With blacks unable to access the same opportunity as their white counterparts, most of them have been unable to realize the meaning of democracy in America.
Furthermore, the founding of American was based on preferential treatment for the whites. The systems worked to oppress blacks while elevating the white people. For instance, African Americans from the 1930s to the 1960s were excluded from home-mortgage market. In Chicago for instance, the whites used every available means to restrict blacks from accessing mortgages. The loan officers did not make financing available to African Americans. The federal government further made it impossible for blacks to own houses. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), created by Congress in 1934 was meant to enable Americans to own houses. However, FHA used a rating system to determine which neighborhoods could receive finding and the ones that did not qualify. The Negro neighborhoods were given a “D” rating, hence could not qualify for FHA backing (Coates, 2014, p. 9). Such preferential treatment of whites had adverse long-term effects on
Since the founding of America, the nation played a critical role in reducing blacks to a class of untouchables, while elevating all the whites to a level of citizens. For instance, Virginia in 1650 allowed all individuals apart from Negroes to carry arms. In Maryland, any White woman who chose to marry a slave was required to be a slave of her husband’s master. In 1705, Virginia required all the properties belonging to slaves like horses, cattle, and hogs to be “seized and sold off to the local church,” where the proceeds would be utilized to support the low-income individuals in the particular parish (Coates, 2014, p. 29). Slaves became property that was valued more than anything else. By 1860, the value ...