The New Jim Crow

In the wake of George Floyd's death, it seems every Instagram story was a list of books the rest of us need to read to understand the undercurrent that drove the calls for social justice. It seems The New Jim Crow was on every one one of those lists. It came up from the library just in time, though this is a heavy book that some may find even too heavy for this moment in history.

When I say "too heavy" I don't mean we should turn away. Not at all. Now's the exact time to be looking inward at ourselves and out at the institutions driving systemic racism in our country. But, if what you need in the age of COVID-related stress is a book that helps you escape, you may want to put this one on hold.

This book lays out like a text book the issues that have driven our country to a racially-uneven criminal justice system. Black men, in particular, are the victims of centuries of laws designed to keep them enslaved. The system of incarceration and probation locks minorities in an endless cycle that generations can not escape. From stop and frisk to the incentivized seizing of property in criminal cases, I don't believe any reasonable person could read this book and say, "Nah, what we have is good. Let's keep it this way."

This could easily be interpreted as me being anti-law enforcement. That couldn't be further from the truth. But, we give these systems incredible power - the power to take away lives and freedom - and, we absolutely should call them into question and hold them accountable.

What hits home the most is that the explosion in the prison population in this country has not driven down our crime rates. That mandatory sentences tie the hands of judges that should have some discretion in handing down punishments. Also, that while evidence shows White people use and sell drugs just as much as Black people, the Black people are the ones who are arrested and punished.

It got to the point in reading this book that I found myself skimming. It wasn't that the topics weren't interesting, it's just that the evidence was made so clear in the first chapters. I'd call this a must-read for those committed to bettering the systems that so largely define our country. But, be prepared that this isn't escapist reading - it also requires action.