Michelle Alexander The New Jim Crow Summary

Civil rights lawyer, advocate, and associate professor of law at Ohio State University, Michelle Alexander, introduce us the term "The New Jim Crow" and the impact it has on the black community. Taking into consideration the arguments in the lecture, we will be discussing themes such as gun violence, the war on drugs and mass incarceration in the United States.

Michelle Alexander describes the social and economic factors that affect gun violence in the United States as a debate that pays little attention to the reasons why some communities are more susceptible to be what she calls "war zones". She argues that it is not the numbers of guns that deliberate the degree of safety of the neighborhood, but the number of good schools, jobs, and opportunities

She states that the objective of the war on drugs was to incorporate into our society a system of "racial control." They label people of color as criminals to engage in the practices of discrimination, legally. She argues that it has been a war exclusively in poor black communities that politicians used strategically using racially coded "get tough" appeals, to appeal to the white poor class that was feeling inferior and threatened by the black community. This behavior from the criminal justice system led to the issue of mass incarceration in the African American community. To be a felon in the United States meant that you will have to fight for survival and overcome multiple challenges that in the end may put you in the position of having to go back into prison. Once you are "free" you are more likely to be rejected from jobs,

But, what does the government do about it? They cannot get housing, food stamps or any kind of help to incorporate into society again, a situation that guarantees to perpetuate them to a jobless situation. She argued that even trying to start a business of your on seemed impossible due to all the limitations that exist. But it was not only social or personal economics challenges that these individuals had to face, but political issues as well. Once they were convicted of a felony, they were automatically disfranchised. She mentioned that in the year 2004 more black men were disfranchised than in 1870's, the year 15th amendment was ratified. It also has a huge effect when black individuals take the decision to fight for their rights because the "criminal" label puts their arguments in question and makes it almost impossible for them to win a case, even if they are innocent. One of the complexities of finding a solution to this matter is the stereotypes that influence even the "well-intentioned" officers to suspect by just looking at their physical aspects and create these racial disparities. Another factor that plays a major role is the economic