What Do We Do With Our Past?

What Do We Do With Our Past?

📖 Reading

⏱️ Time Commitment: Approx. 2 hours of preparation

• "The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

  • Coates makes a compelling argument for reparations by outlining the enduring impact of systemic racism, from slavery to redlining. This essay invites us to grapple with the lasting consequences of historical injustice and challenges us to consider how society should respond. Length: ~16 pages

• "Notes of a Native Son" by James Baldwin

  • In this personal and incisive essay, Baldwin reflects on his own experiences growing up as a Black man in America, weaving together themes of race, history, and identity. Baldwin’s reflection on how the past shapes the present provides a poignant lens through which we can explore the complexity of reckoning with our history. Length: ~12 pages

🤔 Enduring Questions: What Will We Talk About?

• How does history shape our present-day realities, especially when it comes to systemic injustice?

• What responsibility do individuals and societies have to address historical wrongs?

• How do Coates and Baldwin differ in their approaches to confronting the past?

• Is it possible to move forward without fully addressing the wrongs of the past?

• What role do reparations and other forms of acknowledgment play in creating a more just society?

Description

How do we reckon with the past, and what responsibility do we have to address its impact on the present?

In this Speakeasy session, we’ll explore how history shapes our current realities and our responsibilities moving forward, using two powerful texts—Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Case for Reparations and James Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son—to guide our conversation. Both authors delve deeply into the ways systemic injustice and racial history continue to influence the present, asking us to confront difficult truths about the legacy of racism and the impact of our past on today’s society.

Through Coates’ groundbreaking essay and Baldwin’s personal reflections, we will question how we make sense of collective memory and what actions are required to rectify historical wrongs. How do we live with the past’s influence, and what role should it play in shaping a just future?

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