Killer Mike, the Atlanta rapper and political activist who endorsed Bernie Sanders, went on a Twitter tear defending the Vermont senator from criticism from Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Coates, a National Book Award winner and prolific writer on the issue of race, published a critique of Sanders in The Atlantic arguing that "Sanders's radicalism has failed in the ancient fight against white supremacy."
In his piece, Coates takes Sanders to task over his opposition to reparations for slavery, voiced at a forum focused on minority issues in Iowa last week. Coates is the author of the 150,000-word 2014 piece, "The Case for Reparations."
Asked whether he would be in favor of "reparations for slavery," Sanders said no, arguing that "its likelihood of getting through Congress is nil. Second of all, I think it would be very divisive."
Coates argued that Sanders opposition to reparations on the grounds that it wouldn't make it through Congress was nonsensical. The same could be said for many of the positions Sanders himself supports, including his recently released health care plan.
Coates wrote:
If this is the candidate of the radical left — then expect white supremacy in America to endure well beyond our lifetimes and lifetimes of our children. Reparations is not one possible tool against white supremacy. It is the indispensable tool against white supremacy. One cannot propose to plunder a people, incur a moral and monetary debt, propose to never pay it back, and then claim to be seriously engaging in the fight against white supremacy.
Killer Mike, a strong political voice in his own right, argued in a series of tweets that "the fact that Black Americans must justify the case for reparations is shameful." He also argued that Sanders was the only presidential candidate with policy proposals that would directly impact the black community.
The fact that blacks have to even justify the case for reparations is shameful. The fact that only 1 candidate is being called to task is— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) January 20, 2016
Bullshit. Especially when that candidate is the only one with policy proposal that directly effects the black community if elected.— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) January 20, 2016
Coates's criticism of Sanders comes as he is working aggressively to gain support of black voters who will be crucial for him once the race for the Democratic nomination moves past the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. He has, since being confronted by Black Lives Matter activists early in his campaign, rolled out a robust criminal justice plan.
Sanders also recently announced that he would tour Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and engage directly with black students.