Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks during the the Iowa Brown and Black Forum on January 11, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa

Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote an op-ed in the Atlantic titled "Why Precisely Is Bernie Sanders Against Reparations?" He criticized Bernie Sanders explanation that reparations are too "divisive" and too "radical". He writes:

The spectacle of a socialist candidate opposing reparations as “divisive” (there are few political labels more divisive in the minds of Americans than socialist) is only rivaled by the implausibility of Sanders posing as a pragmatist. Sanders says the chance of getting reparations through Congress is “nil,” a correct observation which could just as well apply to much of the Vermont senator’s own platform. The chances of a President Sanders coaxing a Republican Congress to pass a $1 trillion jobs and infrastructure bill are also nil. Considering Sanders’s proposal for single-payer health care, Paul Krugman asks, “Is there any realistic prospect that a drastic overhaul could be enacted any time soon—say, in the next eight years? No.”

While this analogy may seem perfectly logical, Ta-Nehisi Coates misses the whole point about Bernie Sanders candidacy, and his logic falls flat. He essentially makes the same mistake that Paul Krugman and many others, including Sanders own supporters, frequently make about him.

First of all, Bernie Sanders is not a radical. His ideas are not radical. While he may be "very radical" in a government that doesn't resemble the population it governs (and somehow it's still called a democracy), Bernie Sanders ideas and positions are supported by the majority of the people. Majority of Americans supports Single Payer Medicare for All (51-36), breaking up the banks (55-23) and taxing the rich to 50% (59-25).

To lump Reparations with Bernie Sanders other positions as just another divisive and radical idea is a gross exaggeration. A staggering 94% of whites oppose Reparations while 59% of African Americans support it. This statistic is disappointing as I am one of very few white people who actually support Reparations, but that doesn't change the simple fact that Reparations are extremely divisive and radical.

Second, Ta-Nehisi Coates misses the whole point about Bernie Sanders candidacy. Coates is absolutely right that "the chances of a President Sanders coaxing a Republican Congress to pass a $1 trillion jobs and infrastructure bill are also nil". I don’t doubt that, and Bernie Sanders doesn't doubt that either. He said:

Let me tell you something that no other candidate for president will tell you. And that is no matter who is elected to be president, that person will not be able to address the enormous problems facing the working families of our country. They will not be able to succeed because the power of corporate America, the power of Wall Street, the power of campaign donors is so great that no president alone can stand up to them. That is the truth. People may be uncomfortable about hearing it, but that is the reality. And that is why what this campaign is about is saying loudly and clearly: It is not just about electing Bernie Sanders for president, it is about creating a grassroots political movement in this country.

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In other words, Bernie Sanders is not the Messiah. Bernie Sanders supporter, rapper Killer Mike explains it brilliantly:

Voting is not a one-time act and a wizard saves everything

Also, Coates suggests that Hillary Clinton's racial platform is essentially the same to that of Bernie Sanders. That's factually false regardless who you choose to support. But even if that was the case, I was surprised to see Coates dismiss the importance of addressing the problem of poverty as it disproportionately impacts people of color. And while I admit that reducing or even eliminating poverty wouldn't end white privilege, it's the most essential tool and the key ingredient to bring an end to white supremacy.

Many criticized Coates, and other African Americans, that they require more from Bernie Sanders than they would from Hillary Clinton. Benjamin Dixon describes it in his show:

If you are making Bernie Sanders jump to these white supremacist destroying hoops and not requiring the same exact standard of Hillary Clinton, then you are both disingenuous and intellectually dishonest.

Benjamin Dixon makes a good point. Even President Obama didn't support reparations. But I believe there's a reason why Bernie Sanders is held to a higher standard than Hillary Clinton. Bernie Sanders is not the typical politician. When was the last time you heard a white political candidate leading a sit in to fight segregation and get arrested for it? When was the last time you heard a political candidate fight homophobia in the early 1970's? He's also the closest to resemble Martin Luther King, even more so than Barack Obama.

While I understand and applaud holding Bernie Sanders to a very high standard, dismissing his vision and policies because of this one issue is a shocking reaction.