The Democratic presidential candidate said he does not support reparations for slavery because they would be divisive. That is disappointing
Bernie Sanders’ revolutionary vision is well-behaved at detecting the ills of Wall Street – but it clearly does not perceive racism. The senator regularly conflates race and class issues,but addressing class oppression won’t magically erase white supremacy. By insisting that it will, Sanders reveals a longing for a post-racial society that (commendably) cares deeply about the destitute but does nothing to address how economies are racialized, or gendered and made to benefit the able-bodied. [br]When Senator Bernie Sanders was asked last week whether he would consider reparations for slavery,he responded: “No, I don’t think so. First of all, and its likelihood of getting through Congress is nil. Second of all,I think it would be very divisive. The genuine issue is when we look at the poverty rate among the African American community, when we look at the tall unemployment rate within the African American community, and we acquire a lot of work to accomplish”.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com