Summary Of The Criminal Justice System By Michelle Alexander

This novel highlights the fact of the injustices people of color are faced with in everyday life. In the introduction of this book, Michelle Alexander highlights the criminal justice system and how rather than identifying people by their race, people of color are labeled as criminals. I believe the criminal justice system, racial caste, ideology, and global examples of racial caste are all connected to racial inequality. I feel that the race and criminal justice system are connected on the basis that people of color are seen as unequal when compared to Caucasians. In the reading the author provides good examples of how officers are well trained at defending against claims of racial bias in policing. She also states how police officers have

In the book Alexander talks about how plantation owners decided to ship slaves directly from Africa rather than importing English-speaking slaves who were more likely to rebel. “These slaves would be far easier to control and far less likely to form alliances with poor whites.” (Alexander,2011, p.24). The author also talks about the status of African slaves and slavery. “By the mid-1770’s, the system of bond labor had been thoroughly transformed into a racial caste system predicated on slavery. The degraded status of Africans was justified on the ground that Negros, like the Indians, were an uncivilized lesser race, perhaps even more lacking in intelligence and laudable human qualities than the red-skinned natives. The notion of white supremacy rationalized the enslavement of Africans, even as whites endeavored to form a new nation based on the ideals of equality, liberty, and justice for all.” (Alexander, 2011, p.25). In the role of gender, black men are stereotyped as being bad fathers and disappearing from their families, whereas white men are typically seen as good fathers. The author explains that, “Hundreds of thousands of black men are unable to be good father for their children, not because of lack of commitment or desire but

As quoted in this novel by an Alabama planter, “We have the power to pass stringent police laws to govern the Negroes—this is a blessing—for they must be controlled in some way or white people cannot live among them.” (Alexander, 2011, p.28). This quote is an example of ideology; the rich plantation owners feel they are above the poor people of color. White superiority was justified in this time period. The people of color were seen as slaves and were less important than the white people. Only blacks were willing to do the work, they weren’t going to fight back like the American Indians. This had to do with the Caste Systems because American Indians had more power than the African American people. The American Indians “were considered unsuitable as slaves.” “Plantation owners thus viewed Africans, who were relatively powerless, as the ideal slaves.” (Alexander, 2011, p.24). I believe in order to create such a system of ideology you need to have a powerful mentality; you need to truly believe you are above people of color. Racial caste is developing