j.r. leonard

He just testified before congress alongside Coates and has been paying the price

do I want to ask first or find out on my own was it in favor of reparations or against it?

He was contradicting (though not completely) Coates

I just watched his statement—yeah, it’s not hard to see how ADOS folks would come for his neck. I didn’t catch Coates’ testimony on this, but I did catch his NYorker interview, for what it’s worth, I’m in agreement with him on this: I just want the study done at this point

I think the study should be done too

The moral case for reparations is strong but I am against it because I don't think it will address any of the salient issues for the Black community today. It will simply underscore the "it is not our fault" message for underachievement.

Poor Asians come to NYC without any wealth at all and way outperform Blacks and Hispanics. It is not just about wealth but also cultural attitudes. Admittedly in singular case of Blacks cultural attitudes have an imprint of centuries of slavery.

Educational attainment and raising children in two parent stable households is a big part of achieving socioeconomic success and Blacks need self-help here. Giving $50K to every Black household wouldn't solve that issue.