Michelle Alexander: Drug War Racism

Litigator-turned-legal-scholar Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow, argues that we have not ended racial caste in America, we have simply redesigned it: The U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary means of racial control, even as it formally adheres to the principle of color blindness. Her provocative new book challenges the civil rights community—and all of us—to place mass incarceration at the forefront of a new movement for racial justice in America. As the United States celebrates the nation's triumph over race with the election of Barack Obama, the majority of young black men in major American cities are locked behind bars or have been labeled felons for life. Event at Demos February 18, 2010.

Camera, edit Joe Friendly.

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News & Politics

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[DarknessUnresolved]

I'm soo glad this video has been put up here. I read Michelle's book in 2009 and the woman is SPOT FUCKING ON with what she says and claims. Absolutely right!

[TruheadzaNo]

I read half the book before i even took of my shoes when i first purchased it.real talk

[rastaman24211]

@jromano16 I myself am a convicted felon and a college student who hopes to go to law school. I am also white but none the less everything she says is right on point. I may not be of color but I have experienced all of the discrimination of which she talks about. The victims of the drug war transcend racial lines, but people of color are victims in disproportionate numbers. Admittedly there is no easy solution, but does that mean that the topic is not worthy of discussion?

[rastaman24211]

@jromano16 She does give a solution, unfortunately it is a very difficult solution to actually implement. Her solution is the creation of a mass social movement dedicated to reversing the drug war. The difficulty is that the victims of the drug war are a marginalized demographic of our society. People do not see them as victims worthy of a social movement on their behalf. But the first step is to make people aware of what`s happening. It`s not an easy solution, but it`s still a worthy discussion

[NoremacTheGreat]

@jromano16 Michelle Alexander has done AMAZING work, who else has a book out with this information? She's constantly attending events and speaking at colleges. What can we do when corporations lobby in washington d.c. with BILLIONS of dollars to build private prisons for profit and acquire public prisons to transform them into private prisons. Contact your congress, they're bribed. The only viable solution is to inform as many people as possible, and unite. See Ramarley Graham; private prisons.

[NoremacTheGreat]

Crime wasn't related to crime statistically in black ghetto's until the crack and heroin epidemics, before those epidemics we had astounding historical events such as the Harlem Renaissance and black people were doing good even in poverty. Now we have to question why the FBI monitored everything in the black community with COINTELPRO, why the CIA shipped drugs into the country which made its way into all communities but left extremely negative effects on black impoverished areas

[jromano16]

@MarkyRocketmane I agree! She has some valid points but fails to give solutions. We need to realize our worth and the power in the family unit. In addition, understand our rights and use them. Whites know their rights as American citizens. They write letters, make phone calls and will use it to their advantage every time they get in trouble.

[MarkyRocketmane]

Michelle Alexander does not attack the problem but only the symptoms. She emphasizes criminality. Why? Once one acknowledges the statistics of children born out of wedlock in the community, many things are explained. Approx 3/4 African Americans are born out of wedlock and THAT'S THE PROBLEM because it is directly related to poverty statistically. Poverty is related to crime statistically. The nuclear family is going extinct in the black community: that is the problem. Conveniently ignored?

[takesun2]

there will be an uprising by Black people soon.

[takesun2]

@LisaDeWitt yeah I just purchased it.

She is right.

[TruheadzaNo]

@Shaymeonyoo That is a symptom of what she`s talking about moron.Denial