The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
A powerful and provocative analysis of the U.S. criminal justice system and its disproportionate impact on people of color.
Summary
The 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. It examines the U.S. criminal justice system and its disproportionate impact on people of color, particularly African Americans. It argues that the War on Drugs and policies that deny convicted felons equal access to employment, housing, education, and public benefits create a permanent under-caste based largely on race. Alexander calls this caste system the New Jim Crow.
Interpretation
The New Jim Crow is a powerful and provocative analysis of the U.S. criminal justice system and its disproportionate impact on people of color. It argues that the War on Drugs and policies that deny convicted felons equal access to employment, housing, education, and public benefits create a permanent under-caste based largely on race. The book is a call to action for individuals and communities to fight against the systemic racism that has been perpetuated by the criminal justice system.
Who is this book for?
The New Jim Crow is for anyone interested in learning more about the systemic racism that has been perpetuated by the criminal justice system and the disproportionate impact it has had on people of color.
Keywords
Race, Criminal Justice, Systemic Racism, War on Drugs, African Americans