The ability to incorporate other works into writing pieces and accurately integrate them into your ideas was something that I have struggled with for a long time. I either was not able to explain the text correctly or I was not able to make a strong enough connection with the source. Throughout this course I was able to get a grasp on this ability and I now feel more confident than ever in my ability to add outside sources to my text. A piece of writing in my significant writing project that accurately demonstrates my ability to incorporate different sources into my text, explain it, and provide my own opinions on it is in the passage:
“Coates states that “the idea of reparations is frightening not simply because we might lack the ability to pay. The idea of reparations threatens something much deeper—America’s heritage, history, and standing in the world” (p. 34). This would mean that reparations would ultimately be an unachievable goal, which is why congress is so hesitative to pass it. The idea of reparations not being enough to repay the black community for decades of racism, slavery, and discrimination alludes to a much larger issue that many white Americans are afraid to admit. The source of the problem was never what must be repaid, but in actuality what must be corrected, developed, and ultimately re-written. I believe that Coates means that the justice of reparations can only be achieved through actions that rewrite the American system in a way that isn’t rooted in racism and discrimination.”
I introduce the quote from Coates and proceed to explain the quote in a way that relates to the idea and topic I am trying to portray. I then go on to debrief what I believe Coates wants to explain to the audience, in my own interpretation, and add context to the quote I used. At the end of the passage, I integrate my own ideas that are supported by the outside source and go on to talk about the point I intend to make with confidence.
