Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
- What are the title, author, source, and date of publication? Make a one- to two-sentence summary of the work.
The title of the book is The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. Michelle Alexander authors the book, and it was published in the year 2010 to enlighten citizens about the unfair treatment African-American in US.
- What is the key issue or point the author is trying to address in the chapter?
The author is trying to address the issue of race discrimination, race relations, and Criminal Justice in the USA. Many Black Americans were denied the right to vote, and the most basic freedom for all citizens. Jarvious Cotton, her father, and all the grandparents before were denied that basic right (Alexander 19). The author in her work is trying to enlighten the people to know that caste system exists in USA.
Chapter 1 analysis
Chapter 1 of this book is entitled The Rebirth of Caste. It is a brief review of the racism in the US, accelerated by the caste system. The critical issue addressed is the rebirth of a New Jim Crow, existing inform of mass incarceration of Black Americans (Alexander 19). White supremacy was used to enslave the blacks, and it also lived on after eradication of slavery, as pointed out by the author (Alexander 19). She asserts that the southern legislature created black Codes, and it was used to limit the blacks’ participation in civic life and their economic autonomy. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
. Due to this discrimination of the Black Americans, poverty became very rampant among them. They never enjoyed equality and equity in the place of work, forcing some of them to drug trafficking to make their ends meet. But the authority reacted to this cruelty instead of showing compassion to the Blacks (Alexander 19). Harsh and punitive anti-drug legislations were passed, and new policies were made, including the three-strike policy and Clinton’s welfare policy (Alexander 19). All this cruelty by law enforcement was unfairly targeted to the Blacks, and thus the New Jim Crow was born.
Chapter 2 Analysis
This chapter is entitled The Lockdown. The author addresses the issue of War on Drugs because she feels that the whole American criminal justice system was amended to emphasize the defined anti-drug policies; the brutality of the police and their investigating patterns of drug law enforcement in poor Black Community (Alexander 19).
- What facts, experiences, and data does author use to support their point?
The author criticizes the way television portrays the justice system, arguing that it is misleading since many Americans picture the system as depicted in TV shows (Alexander 19). The war against drugs is discussed in the whole chapter, the victims being the people of color. The facts regarding drug use are that the kingpins are the Whites and not the Blacks, but the incarceration rates are dramatically and tragically higher for the Blacks (Alexander 19). She explains the reasons behind this, poor policing practice among then.
The author explains in an interview that she has spent years representing the poor people of color in court, in cases of police brutality, racial profiling, and poor investigating pattern by the drug law enforcement personnel (Alexander 19). The author has concluded that the mass incarceration system doesn’t work to prevent and control crimes; thus, it functions as a caste system to perpetrate crimes.
- Are the main inferences and /or conclusions in the text closely related to the facts and supported by the facts?
The author’s main inference and conclusions in the two chapters are related to the facts and supported by these facts as pointed out in the above critical issues addressed in the text. The war on drugs in America has made many Americans to suffer, most of them being the minority group. The harsh sentences given to them in prison does not mark the end of suffering, they are labelled as second-class citizens once released. This makes them unable meet their most basic needs hence they end up back to prison.
- What are assumptions underlying the author’s thinking?
The central assumption underlying the author’s thinking is the thought that the fight against drugs in the USA is targeting the Black Community only and not the White. She thinks that the law enforcers are not fair to the people of color (Alexander 19).
- What results are likely to follow from the author’s line of reasoning?
Her reasoning may lead to more demonstrations by the Black Americans due to the feeling that they are being discriminated. This may happen when all Black Americans start believing in the racial stereotype they receive from the criminal justice as being discriminative and prone to brutality.
- What results are likely to follow if people ignore the author’s line of reasoning?
Contrary to this, if people ignore the author’s point of reasoning, the fight against drugs may not be successful since the Big Fish will remain safe and continue with the harmful act since he can afford the lawyer’s fees to get back his seized asset.
- How does the author affect your concepts of leadership in policymaking? Will you incorporate the information you read or do you reject it? Using facts and data, state your reasons why?
Most of the information in this text is useful and crucial in policy making for a nation and should be incorporated. The ruling against the two African-American arrested with a bag of cocaine were treated differently from Bostick, an American, committed of the same crime. There is a clear evidence of racism observed in the two cases. Our leaders should address the issue of racism to ensure that the rule of law is practiced (Alexander 19). This is because all citizens are equal before the law and should be treated the same.
- Discuss the success or failure of the author to convince the reader. Do you find this work significant? How has it affected you, in terms of your leadership plan?
The author has been successful in convincing the readers that the US Criminal Justice System is racist. She points out that the 4th constitution amendment was supposed to prevent police from the habit they had adopted, where they used to stop people and search them without a warrant (Alexander 19). Surprisingly, this principle was contradicted by the ruling of stop and Frisk (Alexander 19). She feels that the ruling was in favor of the white victim, meaning those targeted mostly are the people of color.
The author is trying to enlighten us that the history of racial caste system in America is repeating itself; Jim crow was introduced when slavery ended, and now the continuing mass incarceration of the Blacks to control Jim Crow. In conclusion, therefore, the federal government should do all that it takes to protect the rights of all citizens being intimidated by the criminal justice, regardless of race or color.