Racial Caste System In The New Jim Crow By Michelle Alexander

In Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow she states that there is a new racial caste system—mass incarceration—in America. Alexander argues that the prior racial caste system, Jim Crow, has not ended—it’s merely been redesigned. Alexander’s main argument is that in this current era of colorblindness, it is not permissible to discriminate on the basis of race hence mass incarceration labels people of color as criminals and then uses all the practices that were “supposedly left behind”. Alexander uses the term racial caste because mass incarceration, like Jim Crow and slavery, were systems that denoted a stigmatized racial group and forced them into a permanent inferior position by law. Likewise, upon getting released from prison, those who

To build support for this war Reagan made sure to publicize this all over the media. It was a grand success. Images of “crack dealers” and “crack babies” were seen all over the news. These images of the purposed inner city life of people of color led to the war that is now known as the War on Drugs. In just a mere thirty years the incarceration population increased from 300,000 to 2 million. Shockingly enough the increase in those who have been incarcerated have been due to drug convictions. Drug crime was low when the war was declared—it still is. What’s changed is that Alexander points out that no other country in the world incarcerates so many of their racial or ethnic minorities. To back up the reasoning that people of color are specifically targeted, studies have shown that white youth tend to be more active in drug crime than people of color—but yet, who are the majority of those in prisons? Alexander explains that the reason as to why this current racial caste system is hidden is due to the popular notion that the U.S no longer engages in the same practices as Jim Crow and

In this era of colorblindness, it is not acceptable to talk about race nor class. Conversations about class, Alexander argues, tend not to be talked about because one tends to see class as a reflection of one’s character. With that, the premise of American ideology is the idea that if one can work hard enough it is guaranteed that one will make it—AKA meritocracy. Hence, when one does not have the “proper discipline” nor “drive” to move from the lower to upper class—it is a reflection of one’s moral character. Alexander maintains that what is missed in this debate is that Blacks are not free to move up at all; yes they also do not have the same opportunities and are plagued by poverty, but they are prevented by institutions to move up. Just like prior racial castes, mass incarceration creates and maintains a racial hierarchy. Alexander notes how the notion of white supremacy rationalized the enslavement of Africans yet whites were so adamant about forming the U.S. under the ideals of equality, liberty, and justice for all. Similarly, the constitution was meant to preserve a racial caste system—slavery—while maintaining the rights of