Analysis Of New Jim Crow - 1364 Words

Moreover, the facts that Alexander present in The New Jim Crow clashed with my view of the world in that although I appreciated the facts presented as the reality of what goes on in the world, it showed me that the through the laws enacted and through institutions, the society plays a role in creating and perpetuating the new caste system. This is evident when Alexander (2012) explains that the social racial control not only manifests itself through the justice system but also in the structure of the society, which is seen when those incarcerated have served their time and have been released from prison. She refers to Iron Marion’s â€Å"birdcage† metaphor to explain the lives of returning citizens and those on parole. The â€Å"birdcage metaphor†¦show more content†¦It also restricts returning citizen from transforming their lives and instead puts them in a box, which often leads them to commit more crimes, be arrested, and receive another felon brand. To effectively show how being branded a ‘felon’ affects returning citizens, Alexander (2012) writes on how regardless of whether they have committed a crime, black males in urban ghettos are treated like current or future criminals and that although one may eventually learn to cope with the stigma of criminality, like the stigma of race, the black males in the ghetto cannot fully escape the prison label. She puts the thoughts of returning citizens about the issue. She quotes one ex-offender who said, â€Å"The biggest hurdle you gotta get over when you walk out these prison gates is shame-that shame, that stigma, that label, that thing you wear around your neck saying, ‘I’m a criminal.’ It’s like a yoke around your neck, and it’ll drag you down, even kill you if you let it† (Alexander, 162). She continues by quoting the sentiment shared by an incarcerated woman who says, â€Å"When I leave here it will be very difficult for me in the sense that I’m a felon. That I will always be a felon†¦for me to leave here, it will affect my job, it will affect my education†¦ People that are convicted of drug crimes can’t even get housing anymore†¦Yes, I did my prison time. How long are you going to punish me as a result of it?† (Alexander, 106). I like that Alexander includes realShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Article The New Jim Crow 1670 Words   |  7 Pagesagain in the image of the plantation, Jim Crow, the ghetto and now the prison-industrial complex. Building off this, Michelle Alexander, in her article â€Å"The New Jim Crow, explores how this this timeless paradigm manifest currently, explaining that the manifestation of the prison system is the new Jim Crow. She explains that this occurs through the over-representation of minorities in prison and then their subjection to laws which effectively replicate Jim Crow. In short, the system never died, itRead MoreAnalysis Of Mich elle Alexander s The New Jim Crow 1058 Words   |  5 PagesMichelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow presents the reader with damning evidence of structural racism that still exists in United States Institutions. Michelle Alexander is an associate professor at Stanford Law School, directed the Civil Rights Clinic, and served as the director of the Racial Justice Project for the ACLU of Northern California. This book was begging to be read. The New Jim Crow? There is a new Jim Crow? The book argues that mass incarceration is â€Å"a stunningly comprehensive and well-disguisedRead MoreThe New Jim Crow : Mass Incarceration1361 Words   |  6 PagesBook Review Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness The premise of the ‘The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness’ by Michelle Alexander, is to refute claims that racism is dead and argue that the War on Drugs and the federal drug policy unfairly targets communities of color, keeping a large majority of black men of varying ages in a cycle of poverty and behind bars. The author proves that racism thrives by highlighting theRead MoreAnalysis Of Glenda Gilmore s On Interracial Dynamics1282 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of Glenda Gilmore’s Essay on Interracial Dynamics in the Jim Crow Era Glenda Gilmore, in her essay â€Å"Forging Interracial Links in the Jim Crow South,† attempts to tackle the charged concepts of feminism and race relations during the infamous Jim Crow era. Her analysis focuses on both the life and character of a black woman named Charlotte Hawkins Brown, a highly influential member of the community of Greensboro, North Carolina. Brown defied the odds given her gender and race and rose toRead More C. Vann Woodwards The Strange Career of Jim Crow Essay1719 Words   |  7 PagesWoodwards The Strange Career of Jim Crow In the field of history, it is rare that an author actually comes to shape the events discussed in their writing. However, this was the case for C. Vann Woodward and his book, The Strange Career of Jim Crow. First published in 1955, it discusses this history of race relations in America, more specifically the Jim Crow laws he equates with the segregation of races. Woodward argues that segregation itself was a fairly new development within the South,Read MoreThe New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander960 Words   |  4 PagesThe New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander tries to advance intellectual dialogue regarding mass incarceration in the United States. Alexander does this by carrying out a historical analysis of the process in which the correctional system controls African Americans through intentionally selected, and systematically sanctioned legal limits. In fact, the United States incarceration rate is not at peak by coincidence. Moreover, it is not coincidental that Black men and w omen make up the majority of thisRead MoreA Deeper Analysis On The Aspect Of Race As Local Color1565 Words   |  7 PagesA Deeper Analysis on the Aspect of Race as Local Color: Jim Crow Laws Imagine you are a person of color in the early to mid 1900’s. You the mother of three young children. Despite your best intentions, your children are forced to grow up in poverty. When you direct them out of the house to go to school, they see the all the white boys and girls walking toward one school and all of the black boys and girls walking to another. Imagine being asked by your children why they don’t go to school with theRead MoreThe Breakdown Of The New Jim Crow Essay1474 Words   |  6 PagesThe Breakdown of The New Jim Crow Some say that nothing is ever truly brought to an end and that everything that once was will be again. That seems to be the case when discussing Michelle Alexander s The New Jim Crow, a nonfiction book that argues that Jim Crow has reemerged in the mass incarceration of black people in America. Originally, the name for this era we know as Jim Crow was inspired by a racist character played by Thomas Dartmouth Daddy Rice. During the 1800s, Rice would dressRead MoreThe New Jim Crow, By Michelle Alexander Essay1511 Words   |  7 PagesRacism is a thing of the past, or is it? Michelle Alexander’s, â€Å"The New Jim Crow,† main focus is on mass incarceration and how it occurs in an era of color blindness. Alexander also focuses on the social oppressions that African Americans have suffered throughout the years, until now. In this essay, I will discuss how the system of control was constructed, Alexander’s compelling historical analysis, and if the current system woul d be easier to dismantle. I would like to start by delving into howRead MoreRacism And Incarceration Rates Among African Americans And Hispanics Essay1581 Words   |  7 Pagesoccurrence. In order to fully understand the reason, there is a need to review the history of the United States. Through the review, it is clear that the past arrest patterns is more an indicator of institutional racism still exists in this country. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness is a book by Michelle Alexander, who is a civil rights litigator and legal scholar. The book discusses racial issues related to African-Americans and mass incarceration in the United States. Alexander