"The Case for Reparations" (Worth Up to 40 Points)
Ta-Nehisi Coates, National Correspondent for The Atlantic and recent recipient of the MacArthur "Genius" Grant, has continued to receive attention for his article "The Case for Reparations". I have included this article in readings for the class, but we will explore the article more deeply in this extra credit assignment.
You will need the following:
- Article: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/ (Links to an external site.)
- This article includes images, graphs and a short film, including "The Story of Clyde Ross and the Contract Buyers League)
- Bill Moyers Interview of Coates on his article, with a strong introduction by Moyers - Interview: https://billmoyers.com/episode/facing-the-truth-the-case-for-reparations/ (Links to an external site.)
- I recommend watching the beginning of the same interview paired with a discussion of Ferguson events and a rebroadcast, though this is not required. Only the first couple of minutes are affected here, but you may be interest to see it. Alternate Interview Intro:https://billmoyers.com/episode/united-states-ferguson/ (Links to an external site.) - You can also follow along with the transcript provided on the webpage of this article.
For an opportunity to earn these points, please read the following very carefully and follow all directions.
For up to 40 points extra credit, review the article, the short film in the article (including the Story of Clyde Ross and the Contract Buyers League), media in the article (the photo gallery, embedded images and graphs), and the Bill Moyers interview.
- Write an essay in which you discuss four article sections from "The Case for Reparations", the Moyers interviews, and the short film (Story of Clyde Ross...)
- The four article sections must include discussion the following: (1) Section I, (2) Section II or III, (3) Section VII, (4) Section V or VI.
- Ensure that you provide at least one quote per EACH required SECTION (I, II or III, VII, V or VI) and each additional source and the short film in your essay
- For each article section you discuss, clarify the overall argument of the section, highlight and explain the role of media, images, or graphs utilized in that section, and discuss one major point Coates uses to support his the overall argument in the section.
- For your discussion of the "Story of Clyde Ross"... short film, explain what the film demonstrates about discriminatory and institutional housing discrimination in the first half of the Twentieth Century.
- For the Moyers interview, discuss an aspect of the interview you found interesting, or a point Coates discussed that is not extensively explored in the article.
- Ensure that your paper demonstrates your comprehension of the article and the media resources.
- In your discussion, provide clear connections to the the text and themes from the course.
- Ensure that the essay is at least 750 words.
- Include an introduction and conclusion.
- Remember to follow the essay template for this course to format your paper, and include the title of all discussed materials, such as the names of the short films and of the article, in your essay.
- Choose a clear title for your essay that relates to the materials being used for the essay. Ex: "Reflections on Coates's 'The Case for Reparations'.