Black History

Ta-Nehisi Coates destroys Mitch McConnell over slave reparations debate

ROLLINGOUT — Ta-Nehisi Coates took a moment to verbally dismantle U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. Speaking on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, at a U.S. House hearing on reparations, Coates blasted McConnell for his overt disapproval of slave reparations. One day earlier, McConnell shunned the idea. “I don’t think reparations for something that happened 150 years ago for whom none of us currently living are responsible is a good idea,” McConnell told reporters. “We’ve tried to deal with our original sin of slavery by fighting a civil war, by passing landmark civil rights legislation. We’ve elected an African American president.”

Published

5 years ago

June 22, 2019

A.R. Shaw

By A.R. Shaw

Ta-Nehisi Coates took a moment to verbally dismantle U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. Speaking on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, at a U.S. House hearing on reparations, Coates blasted McConnell for his overt disapproval of slave reparations.

One day earlier, McConnell shunned the idea. “I don’t think reparations for something that happened 150 years ago for whom none of us currently living are responsible is a good idea,” McConnell told reporters. “We’ve tried to deal with our original sin of slavery by fighting a civil war, by passing landmark civil rights legislation. We’ve elected an African American president.”

Coates took McConnell to task over his comments. “We grant that Mr. McConnell was not alive for Appomattox. But he was alive for the electrocution of George Stinney. He was alive for the blinding of Isaac Woodard. He was alive to witness kleptocracy in his native Alabama in a regime premised on electoral theft.”

Coates continued by saying the effects of slavery remain alive today.

“While emancipation dead-bolted the door against the bandits of America, Jim Crow wedged the windows right open,”Coates added. “It was 150 years ago and it is right now….McConnell cited civil rights legislation yesterday, as well he should because he was alive to witness the harassment, jailing, and betrayal of those responsible for that legislation. He was alive for the redlining of Chicago and the looting of black homeowners of some $4 billion. Victims of that plunder are very much alive today. I am sure they’d love a word with the majority leader.”

He also spoke about how the nation’s wealth will always be tied to slavery. “We recognize our lineage as a generational trust, as inheritance, and the real dilemma posed by reparations is just that: a dilemma of inheritance,” he said. “It is impossible to imagine America without the inheritance of slavery.”

Coates also expressed how mass incarceration overwhelmingly affects the descendants of slaves. “There is, of course, the shame of this land of the free boasting the largest prison population on the planet of which the descendants of the enslaved make up the largest share,” he said.

In 2014, Coates wrote the essay “The Case for Reparations” which was published by Atlantic.

This article originally appeared in Rollingout.com.

A.R. Shaw

Posts by A.R. Shaw

Up Next

Dabls MBAD African Bead Museum New Gallery and Community Space Opening

Don't Miss

The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection – One Of The Most Comprehensive Collections Of African-american Art And History Outside The Smithsonian – Coming This Fall To The African American Museum, Dallas

A.R. Shaw

4 Comments

Activism

S.F. Black Leaders Rally to Protest, Discuss ‘Epidemic’ of Racial Slurs Against Black Students in SF Public School System

Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church. Photo courtesy Third Baptist Church.

By Carla Thomas

San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.

“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”

According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.

“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”

Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.

SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.

Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.

Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.

Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.

“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.