Reply to both post below. One paragraph each. Cite if necessary.

1)Why does homeownership differ so dramatically between Whites and Blacks?

In Coates video “The case for reparations” it was explained that While Whites were abvlt to obtain homes using their credit and whatever help they may have needed by the government Blacks were not as fortunate. Blacks were pushed around from one lender to another and scammed out of their money. Whites were able to purchase a home wherever they wanted while Blacks were shown a mp and said “you go here.” Regardless of their income level. The FHA provided maps to the Blacks and showed them what neighborhoods fit them the best, didn’t matter the percentage of Blacks living there or their social class, didn’t matter. Not only were the FHA loans affected but the mortgages were as well. Even if the Blacks could afford better neighborhoods to raise their families they were denied and forced to raise them in rundown neighborhoods referred to now as the ghettos.

3) Who is clyde Ross and why is he significant to the Coates’ article and story?

Clyde Ross is a African American man born in Mississippi in 1923. Mr. Ross has been discriminated his entire life. Mr. Ross moved to Chicago in 1947 looking for a better life for him and subsequent family. He worked hard, had kids and his money was his own, however when he went to purchase his own home he was denied. in 1961 mr. Ross and his wife wanted to move to a suburb but was denied saying he belonged with his own kind in a suburb, Lawndale, where he now lives. He had to purchase his home under a “contract.” basically he was renting 2x the worth of the home. His money never went towards equity or ownership, his “rent” would change constantly in the hopes he would no longer be able to afford it and force him to move out. As a result his landlord would then sell it to another black family and do it all over to them. Mr. Ross was denied a mortgage saying he did not qualify for financing. In 1968 Mr. Ross joined the Contract Buyers League and they fought and won those discriminating and were finally able to obtain equality. He still reside in his Lawndale home as a proud owner,he is now 91.

7) Who is Takao Ozawa and why is his significant to the development of “white” as a legal, racial category? What did his case ultimately do?

Mr. Ozawa was born in Japan in 1875 and moved to San Fransisco in 1894. Mr. Ozawa considered himself an American in every sense of the word. While he filed for citizenship he was denied based on the fact he was Japanese, at that particular time only Blacks and Whites could be considered for citizenship. The Japanese were denied citizenship because they were so “different.”

10) What can I you do to push the conversation about race forward? What is your personal role?

I always tell my daughter “Love knows no color” “We are all human and we all bleed red.” A skin color doesn’t make you or I better than anyone else, its no different from me having blue eyes to someone else having brown. Race is a touchy subject, unfortunately there are still some ignorant people in this world who do discriminate. For myself I am trying to raise my daughter to be non judgmental and not discriminate, skin color doesn’t define us, who we are and how we treat others is most important.

Kelly

Coates, T.A. (2014) “The Case for Reparations”. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/ (Links to

Second post:

What does Coates mean by “moral debt”?

The collective sin perpetrated against the African-American people by the federal, state and civil aspects of the United States is what I believe Mr. Coates referred to when he used the term “moral debt”; specifically when he referenced the word debt, he made it known that those misdeeds were being tracked by him, and others like him.

Why does he think we all have a debt, “as Americans”?

This country is a beautiful marvel because of many positive and negative reasons. When focusing on the negative, it goes without saying that slavery was a critically decisive factor in our nations extreme growth and success. We, as a nation would not be where we are today, if not for the lives and labor taken from the Africans in the past. Since we, the people, have inherited this nations greatness, we also incur it’s debt. That is why Mr. Coates believes our moral debt exists and continues to grow.

Who is Clyde Ross and why is he significant to the Coates’ article and story?

Clyde Ross is a heart-wrenching example of the utterly ignorant and evil way America has treated it’s faithful African-American citizens. From childhood to adulthood, Mr. Ross had to deal with racism in the form of a corrupt bureaucracy as well as by his fellow citizens. Everything that could go wrong in Mr. Ross’ life seemed to have taken place, all from external sources.

Mr. Ross is an instrumental component of Coates vision; which is that this nation perform the act of healing through reparations. Mr. Ross’ story is a reminder of the grim reality that FREE African-Americans endured in the past, and are still suffering through today. His story aids us in acknowledging the type of transgressions that took place which helps us keep account of our “moral debt” as Americans.

What can you do to push the conversation about race forward? What is your personal role?

I can push the conversation about race forward by enlightening those I come across with the knowledge I have. One of the key proponents to racism, is fear. Fear commonly takes place in the heart, when there is a lack of knowledge in the mind. In the absence of knowledge, fear can take root and grow into negative ideas such as hate. By ensuring I educate myself and those I lead in regard to what race is, our responsibility to each other to become a unified species, as well as set boundaries as to what is socially acceptable in reference to people joking about racism, I can play a small but critical role in pushing the conversation forward.

References

Coates, T.A. (2014) “The Case for Reparations”. Retrieved fromhttps://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/ (Links to an external site.)