The purpose of The New Jim Crow is to expose the discriminatory and ingrained, systemic racism that distorts the American foundations of equality and justice. Author Michelle Alexander shows where this racism lurks in a society that used to enslave people and now uses the criminal justice system to incarcerate African-Americans. I agree that systemic racism is ingrained in our society because I have seen inequality first hand both in New York City, where I was born, and in New Hampshire where I live. The book gives me a larger perspective on how poorer schools are primarily black and how this affects teaching staff and distribution of resources. This is the caste system that Alexander describes.
Most people think of Indian when they hear the words “caste system,” but the author shows the rebirth of this system in the United States. Writing about the birth of slavery and then indentured servitude, Alexander calls the system that was developing, which affects today’s criminal justice system, “legalized terror against black and white bondsmen” (23). The author argues that our government, through systemic racism, made terror and atrocious acts on an entire race acceptable. Furthermore, this racism has taken many forms throughout history, the most recent being the way the legal system functions and rising levels of imprisonment of African-Americans. Alexander writes, “Since the nation’s founding, African Americans repeatedly had been controlled through institutions such as slavery and Jim Crow, which appear to die, but then are reborn in new form, tailored to the needs and constraints of the time” (21). This is how our nation pretends to repeal unjust laws without fixing the effects of them and then reimplementing them in other forms.
Alexander looks at how segregation is one of the oldest forms of systemic racism, whether its through slavery, through racism, or through incarceration. She builds toward defining the problems with U.S. prisons with this term. She also examines how the successes of African-Americans, such as President Barack Obama, do not outweigh or erase the serious problems that still plague the United States related to race. She shows the work at the system level that urgently needs attention.
Hi Nate! I am not reading this book but it sounds very interesting: the whole idea of linking the "Old" Jim Crow Laws to "New" Jim Crow laws as a way of addressing current discrimination and inequality in society. I liked how in the first paragraph you mention how you have "seen inequality first hand both in New York City, where [you were] born, and in New Hampshire." I am interested to hear about these specific incidents because I myself have not been exposed to events such as these much. I believe that is directly the result of having grown up in Hopkinton, a town that sadly lacks diversity. Overall, I like how you talk about the caste system and how it connects to Jim Crow Laws.
ReplyDeleteThe overall topic of your post is clear, Nate, and it's well-written. Make sure you're making progress in the book, though.
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