On p. 55 of “The Case for Reparations”, Coates states, “What we talking about is more than recompense for past injustices—more than a handout, a payoff, hush money, or a reluctant bribe. What talking about is a national reckoning that would lead to spiritual renewal.”
We might typically think of reparations as being purely material—taking the form of land, money, etc. What kind of reparations is Coates advocating for? Why does he believe it’s important to publicly debate and discuss the idea of reparations (through the HR 40 bill, for instance)?