*A newly released study concludes that the soaring imprisonment of African Americans over the past 40 years has been driven in major measure by racism.
Criminologists James Unnever of the University of South Florida-Sarasota and Francis Cullen of the University of Cincinnati found that “racial resentments are inextricably entwined in public punitiveness.”
Stated differently, racism and the rise of “tough on crime” policies go hand in hand.
The study parallels the conclusions of civil rights attorney Michelle Alexander who found in her recent book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, that the American prison system has so sweepingly and consistently targeted African American men that it has effectively created a new racial caste system.
She writes in the book’s introduction:
“I came to see that mass incarceration in the United States had, in fact, emerged as a stunningly comprehensive and well-disguised system of racialized social control …” (source: Taylor Media Services – www.BlackNewsJournal.net )
Breaking news about the ‘Just-us’ system! Sentencing discrepancies have made it painfully clear that the prison industrial complex is just a legacy of slavery. And the conditions in our communities including unemployment and the pitiful education system feed into it.
No kidding…who knew?
I hate these kind of stories. I get sooo angry!
And I get even more infuriated when I think of the golden opportunity slipping through the cracks. Were I the first Black president of this country, I’d be rectifying A LOT. My attention would most certainly be on issues involving “my” people, issues that have been swept under the rug and dismissed over and over. No way in HELL I’d let a golden opportunity to put some real reform in place in the justice system and otherwise slip through my fingers. No way. No way would I give an insulting “Blacks can come up with all boats” speech pretending that the playing field is the same and essentially calling my people “whiners.” No way would I rather have a beer summit with racist cops than task my AG to make policing the police a TOP prirority. No way.
But that’s just me…
But the mistake we may be making, is assuming that Obama is black. Genetically speaking yes, but because of his background, raised by yts, he may not really have any compassion or sensitivity for us and our situations.
Someone clued me into how he moved into Chicago south side, married a black woman, attended a black church, all with possible only one agenda. To go into politics and run as a black transformation candidate.
Hey Reds, I think I was the one who clued you in. Obama doesn’t have much love for “his wife’s people”…remember that one?
Melody, you were in fact the one.
At the time, it was based more on speculation, but now that he is in office, the evidence is mounting. It’s becoming more and more apparent that he doesn’t have any love for his wife’s people, and may in fact only be using black people to further his political ambitions.
I know this is a hard pill to swallow for a lot of us, who were filled with pride when he was elected. Most of us put aside our doubts during the campaign, assuming that he had to be cautious so as not to scare off voters not used to seeing a black man running for POTUS, but I think it has become harder for even his most ardent supporters not to notice that som’n ain’t right about this guy when it comes to black people.
Someone referred me to a brilliant article which broke down all the excuses which blacks in denial continue to make for him.
A Dark Pupil, Watching: On being black in the era of Obama
“Obama supporters argued that we should not be critical of Obama during the campaign because, if we did, he may lose the election. “He was just playing the game,” some argued. “Once he gets into office, then he will be the man we all think he can be.” Now that he is in office, they argue that we must be silent because he has so much on his plate: multiple wars, a broken economy, health care, etc. “Besides,” they like to say, “he’s only been in office one year. It’s going to takes years before we see a real recovery. In the meantime, we need to give him a break. He’s also got to think about re-election. Once he gets re-elected, then there will be less pressure on him to conform and he’ll be the man we think he can be.” If he manages to get re-elected in 2012, let me give you a preview of the argument for saying nothing at that point. It’ll go something like this: “He can’t do anything because he’s the leader of his party and he has to make sure a democrat wins the next election. He can’t rock the boat too much because, if a republican wins, he or she might undo all the gains made by Obama.” These gains, by the way, are ones that none of his most ardent and loyal supporters will ever see. After a two year campaign and 8 years in office, we will have nothing to show for it other than ten years of silence and suffering. Moreover, we’ll be in an even weaker position to make demands of anyone who takes office. Still, some will argue, “Why say anything about Obama at all?”
http://thefreshxpress.com/2010/04/a-dark-pupil-watching-on-being-black-in-the-era-of-obama/
Oh, I just thought you went to jail because you broke the law….silly me.
And this is news? Everything in this country is based on racism why should incarceration be any different.
I feel you.
So why even expect anything to change with a black president.
Why even bother to campaign on hope and change. He can’t change shit, so why even get our hopes up.
I guess he was just another slick politician making false promises to get elected.