I paused for a moment and skimmed the text of the flyer. I reached the conclusions presented in this book reluctantly. Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness is a book by michelle alexander, a civil rights litigator and legal scholar. Alexanders central premise, from which the book derives its title, is that. The aclu of new jersey successfully challenges the new jersey correctional systems ban on access to the new jim crow, michelle alexanders. The new jim crow introduction summary freebooksummary. I was rushing to catch the bus, and i noticed a sign stapled to a telephone pole that screamed in large bold print. What has changed since the collapse of jim crow has less to do with the basic structure of our society than with the language we use to justify it. Obama lectures on too many black fathers missing, and black women complain about not finding good black men, but they rarely point to a major cause mass incarceration. The new press, who believed in this book before i had even written a. Alexander begins by reminding us that racial caste is nothing new in america. According to alexander, mass incarceration is the new jim crow. This study guide consists of approximately 27 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the new jim crow.
Affirmative action, particularly in higher education. Assumptions in the new jim crow here are the notes from our discussion of assumptions in michelle alexanders article on thursday, february 23, and friday, february 24, 2012, followed by a few other assumptions i have identified. For anyone who hasnt read the new jim crow by michelle alexander, now is the time to pick it up from your local bookstore, purchase it on amazon, or check it out from your towns library. Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
The book discusses racerelated issues specific to africanamerican males and mass incarceration in the united states, but alexander noted that the discrimination faced by africanamerican males is prevalent among other minorities and socioeconomically. Included in the zora cannon, a list of the 100 greatest books written by african american women published by zora, a medium publication. In the introduction to the new jim crow, cornel west wrote, michelle alexanders the new jim crow is the secular bible for a new social movement in early 21st century america. It is a legal way for african americans to have basic freedoms denied and be discriminated against. The introduction begins with alexanders comparison between an incarcerated africanamerican man today and the mans ancestors who, like him, were denied basic rights as a result of slavery and jim crow, respectively. When she began writing this book, she did not believe this claim. A human rights nightmare is occurring on our watch. Once in a great while a book comes along that changes the way we see the. The new jim crow alexander argues that the public is in denial about the magnitude of the new jim crow problem. Chapter summary for michelle alexanders the new jim crow, introduction summary.
Once in a great while a book comes along that changes the way we see the world and helps to fuel a nationwide social movement. The new jim crow discredited, advocates demand revision radical scholars and social justice activists say the popular discourse of the new jim crow promotes a false understanding of mass incarceration in the united states and serves to reinforce the status quo by quietly separating mass incarceration from its most defining and central features. Reprinted in his book the insecurity of freedom jewish publication society, philadelphia 1966 chapter 1 describes the historical transition from slavery to jim crow to the new jim crow. The new jim crow, a bestselling book about how mass incarceration has ravaged the black community, is banned by prisons in two states and can be difficult to obtain in others. Then i realized she was the ohio state law professor who had caused some stir five years ago with her book the new jim crow, a book which demonstrated how our criminal justice system was in effect little more than a system of racial oppression.
Author michelle alexander dives into the justice system and explains how a lot of practices and. It is required reading for anyone interested in criminal justice reform and racial inequality in the united states, especially when our president, donald trump, has nominated senator jeff sessions to be. It landed on bestseller lists, was discussed in the media endlessly, made alexander an activistscholar hero, and led to many subsequent handbooks and publications on how to bring its prescriptions for a better criminal justice system to fruition. Praised by harvard law professor lani guinier as brave and bold, this book directly challenges the notion that the election of barack obama signals a new era of colorblindness. Introduction the new jim crow library guide libguides. The new jim crow introduction and chapter 1 summary and. Simply stated, the new jim crow is a system which by law and custom perpetuates a largely african american racial caste locked at the bottom of the racial hierarchy. This is the first book i read about this subject matter. Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness, 10th anniversary edition audiobook by michelle alexander. It is a good introduction to what happened between the civil rights movement in the 1950s. That jim crow there in the window, answered the urchin, holding out a cent, and pointing to the gingerbread figure that had attracted his notice, as he loitered along to. Before writing her book, alexander was the director of the racial justice project at the aclu.
Introduction the new jim crow library guide libguides at. Named one of lit hubs 20 best works of nonfiction of. Mass incarceration is the imprisoning of many people who are african american on the premise of their race. The new jim crow summary and study guide supersummary. I first encountered the idea of a new racial caste system more than a decade ago, when a bright orange poster caught my eye. Alexander claims that the new jim crow was not written for everyone, but rather specifically addresses those who care about ending racial inequality but dont fully understand mass incarceration and how it disproportionately affects people of color.
Alexander introduces a person called jarvius cotton, wholike generations of his family before himcannot vote. The new jim crow is a political book that advocates for racial justice, especially for african americans. The book discusses racerelated issues specific to africanamerican males and mass incarceration in the united states, but alexander noted that the discrimination faced by africanamerican males is prevalent among other minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Chapter one of the new jim crow by michelle alexander. The new jim crow michelle alexander, cornel west isbn.
Why you should read the new jim crow by michelle alexander. Over the course of 2016 and 2017, we held eight community events focused on capters of the new jim crow. The new jim crow summary from litcharts the creators of. Vann woodwards the strange career of jim crow a book martin luther king jr. N ow and then a book comes along that sounds an alarm, challenging prevailing ways of viewing and in terpreting our world and exposing a profound injustice that is hidden in plain sight.
These people have been termed as the invisible people and the problems that alienate them form the society has been. The new jim crow by alexander is a book about the era of mass incarceration. When you begin taking individual cases one by one, these cold statistics dont always show the conclusion that someone like this author hopes they might. Each generation was prevented from voting for a different reason. The new jim crow introduction and chapters 12 summary. Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness, 10th anniversary edition. Chapter 5 the new jim crow states of denial how it works nothing new.
With dazzling candor, legal scholar michelle alexander. The new jim crow was an undeniable phenomenon when it came out. However, what i got from the introduction and chapter 1 of this book is that this is definitely not the case. The new jim crow the new jim crow is a book that gives a look on how discrimination is still and at some post more prevalent today than it was in the 1850s. By michelle alexander introduction written by cornel west. Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness looks at the problems faced by the afroamerican people living in the united states of america. Michelle alexander is a civil rights attorney and the author of the new jim crow. It presents arguments and evidence that the civil rights movement in the united states in the 1950s and 1960s only partially succeeded in granting african americans equal rights. It will shine a light on a new form of segregation based on race. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the new jim crow.
As a lawyer who had litigated numerous classaction employmentdiscrimination cases, i understood well the many ways in which racial stereotyping can permeate subjective decisionmaking processes at all levels of an organization, with devastating consequences. For those readers less familiar with the narrative of american history, this tour through slavery, bacons rebellion, reconstruction, jim crow, populism, the end of jim crow through board, and the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s is very instructive. It is also written for those who have been trying to persuade others about the problems of mass incarceration, but need evidence to help make their case. This book will change the way you think about criminal and judicial systems in the us. The new jim crow audiobook, written by michelle alexander. Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness by michelle alexander michelle alexanders the new jim crow. Thank you so much, being blind makes accessing books hard, you did great reading this. The new jim crow discredited, advocates demand revision. Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness by michelle alexander the new press has been selected as the 2012 unitarian universalist association uua common read. Our effort also supported 35 book groups, 10 films and other community events, and distributed 2,000 copies of the new jim crow. After looking at a pamphlet, proclaiming that drug war is the new jim crow, the author ignored it. Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness paperback january 7, 2020. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the new jim crow, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. It was created to keep those in the minority as the underclass.
New jim crow by targeting black men through the war on drugs and decimating communities of color, the u. What the book does incredibly well is explain how we got here and how this system operates. Alexander wanted this book, the new jim crow, to be the start of an honest and frank dialogue on race and the ramifications of mass incarceration. It was then i decide i had put off reading the new jim crow. At this justice general assembly, unitarian universalists have been called to shine the light on human rights abuses and injustice. The new jim crow essay michelle alexander, the author of the book the new jim crow, asserts that in each generation new tactics have been used to achieve racial exclusion of and discrimination against african americans. Alexander explains that ten years ago, she was suspicious of the claim that mass incarceration was a new jim crow, but. Michelle alexanders the new jim crow is the secular bible for a new social movement in early twentyfirstcentury america. In chapter 1, alexander provides a brief history of race and racism in america. Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness by michelle alexander. Alexander contends that through a trap of laws, guidelines, and casual principles, which are all capably strengthened by social shame, they are. Through these events, we engaged over 800 unique participants.