The New Jim Crow Review - 600 Words

The New Jim Crow Review I agree with Michelle Alexander on her view of mass incarceration, as well as the new racial caste system that has evolved in the United States. She states that, â€Å"we have not ended racial caste in America, we have merely redesigned it†. After reading her book The New Jim Crow, her point of view on the age of colorblindness is extremely bold. Over time, it has developed into many forms. The racial systems have evolved from exploitation, to subordination, to marginalization. As a nation, we have remained in deep denial about the racial systems. Even though it may look like America is an egalitarian society, there is too much occurring â€Å"behind closed doors†, that is often overlooked. Throughout the book, Alexander†¦show more content†¦The only thing that has changed is the language that is used to justify it. Racial indifference is the only thing that this racial caste system needs to thrive. I was shocked to read about all the pa rallels that feed into the racial caste systems. First there is political disenfranchisement, where ex-felons are required to pay certain fees to get their voting rights restored. This is entrapment for the people of color who have committed a felon and were caught during the war on drugs. After being released from prison, they were not allowed to vote until they paid those fees. This left out a large majority of the black population when it came to voting. Therefore, it lefts political bias in the hands of the whites in America. This same bias occurred in the judicial system. Ex-felons are not eligible for jury duty. This leads to a racially biased court room, causing a disadvantage toward the black community. Once a person of color is labeled a criminal, we revert back to the old ways of social control which leads to the parallels in the racial caste systems. The new caste laws lock people behind actual and virtual bars with all the rules, policies and custom controls that come to the blacks labeled â€Å"criminals†. These former inmates are then denied certain public rights to employment, housing, and education. An especially powerful quote from the book reads, â€Å"We must face that racism manifests itself not only in individualShow MoreRelatedThe New Jim Crow : A Review Essay1980 Words   |  8 PagesCarina Starks Book Report PSC318 November 22, 2014 The New Jim Crow: A Review The New Jim Crow is a book that discusses how legal practices and the American justice system are harming the African American community as a whole, and it argues that racism, though hidden, is still alive and well in our society because of these practices. 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