Since the publication of his landmark piece in the Atlantic, "The Case for Reparations," Ta-Nehisi Coates has become one of the leading figures reviving the debate surrounding redress for the descendants of formerly enslaved people. In June, he testified in the House hearing on H.R. 40, a bill that would create a commission to study reparations. In his testimony, he underscored the necessity of recognizing the racial oppression that underpins the U.S. economy, political institutions and criminal justice system.

Senate Speaker Mitch McConnell has spoken out against reparations. “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,” he said.

The problem with McConnell's response, says Coates, is multifaceted and rooted in an "a la carte" approach to history. He adds, "Mitch McConnell would never say, George Washington died a long time ago, therefore, we should not pay any attention to George Washington." Acknowledging history, even uncomfortable histories, "is what it means to be part of a state," he says.

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