The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle AlexanderMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.5 stars. This was excellent and so informative, even though it was written more than ten years ago. It was a difficult read because the content was so heavy, but still very accessible. I knew a fair amount about the content, but this provided a lot more information that I didn't know. For example, I didn't know that if you have a felony, you are not eligible for food stamps or public housing assistance. This is crazy to me because those with felonies also have a much harder time getting jobs so they are much more likely to need assistance. Everyone should be able to have basic needs (like food and shelter) met, so why would this be something the government takes away?
Alexander explains in depth how although drug use among Black people is about the same as any other race (and although they are actually less likely to commit violent crimes), law enforcement focuses their attention on predominately Black neighborhoods. Black people are also much more likely to be convicted with felonies than their white counterparts when they commit the same crime. It was really just sickening to read. It made me want to get a law degree or become a politician or something so that I could actually do something about it. Despite a very thorough explanation of this massive problem, Alexander didn't offer many solutions, except to emphasize that there is great need of massive social change. It made me feel strongly that I need to continue to work toward dismantling racism in my school and with my own family/friends to the best of my ability and teaching my children to do the same.
We had a great discussion about it in book club this month. Our discussion made me appreciate the book even more. It is a book everyone should read, and it should be required for anyone involved in the legal system or politics.
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