What does Ta-Nehisi Coates argue about the roots of American wealth and democracy

One of the key elements to understanding Coates' arguments is that the problems he describes are systemic, meaning that they can be present in multiple facets of society and that it is a problem faced by the vast majority of a group. For example, his criticism of the Barack Obama's views about affirmative action—he said that his children shouldn't benefit from it—is rooted in the reality that the vast majority of Black people in America have been negatively affected by American history to the point where the Obamas' accomplishments are extremely rare. Coates is arguing that the racial oppression of Black people in the country is systemic and touches nearly every single African American. It's not just a few unlucky people; everyone is affected by the legacies of slavery.