Ta-Nehisi Coates is too quick to write off Bernie Sanders

Why can't socialism be a form of reparations?

Bernie Sanders and the case for reparations.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Mike Stone)

Bernie Sanders' biggest obstacle to victory over Hillary Clinton is likely her strong support among African-Americans. That made it a bit of a blow to the campaign when Ta-Nehisi Coates, perhaps the most famous and respected black writer in America, took him to task for failing to support reparations for slavery.

This is an unfortunate misstep by Sanders — but also an excellent opportunity to clarify the deep reach of his brand of redistributive policy. It's also a chance for Coates to reconsider his rather hasty dismissal of socialism itself. It might provide an answer to the question of how reparations would actually function.

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Ryan Cooper

Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at TheWeek.com. His work has appeared in the Washington Monthly, The New Republic, and the Washington Post.