The New Jim Crow Mass Incarceration in the Age of...

The book â€Å"The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness† (â€Å"The New Jim Crow†) hits on many significant points concerning the criminal justice system and the systemically racial elements that have been perpetuated through various laws. As argued in the book, the â€Å"War on Drugs† has been used to perpetuate racial discrimination against African Americans since the 1980s and the Reagan Administration. My personal reflection on the book comes from a legal perspective. Within the world of legal education little if any discussion is had concerning the impact of the law. There is intense discussion on what the law is and where the law could go but in terms of the impact of certain laws such as that within the â€Å"War on Drugs† I†¦show more content†¦In the discussion of these 4th amendment protections I remember little consideration being given to the context in which consent was given. There was no mention of a racial or socioeconomic element to police searches or stops. Interesting as well was the use of all-white juries in perpetuating the racial element of the â€Å"War on Drugs†. A vast majority of the cases involving the use of all-white juries, the line which led to Batson v. Kentucky, started immediately after the first Jim Crow laws were passed. Jim Crow laws were passed in reaction to the newly emancipated slaves and the ending of the institution. Mass incarceration started around the time that Batson v. Kentucky was heard and also around the time that the â€Å"War on Drugs† started. I thought that Alexander made very interesting connections between slavery, Jim Crow and the new trend of mass incarceration. All three institutions on closer examination appear to be related to race rather explicitly even in the case of mass incarceration. No matter the racially-neutral language of the various statutes involved the fact remains that the majority of those imprisoned are Africa n Americans. Yet persons opposed to mass incarceration of African Americans are in the minority. Part of the reason, as Alexander mentioned, is that the â€Å"War on Drugs† is not facially racist but rather facially neutral. Therefore it leaves deniability to the legislative bodies whichShow MoreRelated The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander1182 Words   |  5 PagesThe New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness is a book by Michelle Alexander, a civil rights litigator and legal scholar. The book discusses race-related issues specific to African-American males and mass incarceration in the United States. Michelle Alexander (2010) argues that despite the old Jim Crow is death, does not necessarily means the end of racial caste (p.21). In her book â€Å"The New Jim Crow†, Alexander describes a set of practices and social discourses that serve toRead MoreThe New Jim Crow : Mass Incarceration During The Age Of Colorblindness By Michelle Alexander1665 Words   |  7 PagesIn the new proactive book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, Michelle Alexander dives into the not so complicated racial issues that plague this country that we tend to ignore. In all of history, African Americans have had to constantly fight for their freedoms and the right to be considered a human being in this society. It’s very troubling looking back and seeing where we have failed people in this country. At the turn of the century, when people began to thinkRead MoreThe New Jim Crow : Mass Incarceration During The Age Of Colorblindness By Michelle Alexander3956 Words   |  16 PagesAbstract The history of Jim Crow is a story of white power, but it is also a story of black survival and resilience. 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The author proves that racism thrives by highlighting theRead MoreThe New Jim Crow By Michelle Alexander1313 Words   |  6 Pages The New Jim Crow Michelle Alexander’s the new Jim Crow Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness examine the Jim Crow practices post slavery and the mass incarceration of African-American. The creation of Jim Crows laws where used as a tool to promote segregation among the minority and white American. Michelle Alexander’s the new Jim Crow Mass takes a look at Jim Crow laws and policies were put into place to block the social progression African-American from the post-slavery to the civilRead MoreThe New Jim Crow By Michelle Alexander1316 Words   |  6 Pages The New Jim Crow Michelle Alexander’s the new Jim Crow Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness examine the Jim Crow practices post slavery and the mass incarceration of African-American. The creation of Jim Crows laws were used as a tool to promote segregation among the minority and white American. Michelle Alexander’s the new Jim Crow Mass takes a look at Jim Crow laws and policies were put into place to block the social progression African-American from the post-slavery to theRead MoreThe New Jim Crow : Mass Incarceration Essay795 Words   |  4 Pagesvideo we were asked to write a reflection on discussed The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness which is a book written by Michelle Alexander a highly acclaimed civil rights lawyer, advocate and Associate Professor of Law at Ohio State University. Michelle Alexander states that although we made tremendous progress with Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s by unifying as a race and fought to seemingly ende d the old Jim Crow era by the passing of laws such as the 1965 voting actRead MoreConsequences Of The New Jim Crow866 Words   |  4 PagesLane The New Jim Crow 11/3/17 Please answer each essay in approximately 450 to 500 words. 1. The Old Jim Crow was color-minded. The New Jim Crow claims itself as colorblinded. Show how the New Jim Crow is color-minded and leads to greater unjust consequences. Include in your answer how the New Jim Crow is more dangerous than the Old Jim Crow. In The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, author Michelle Alexander claims that the new racial caste system (New Jim Crow) in the