Kylah Newell

Dr. Craig Wynne

ENG 102-16

17 March 2017

War on Drugs

For many years, race was the main issue in the United States, because there was a lot of

racial indifferences. The racial indifferences have affected many people, but mainly the African-

American community. The racial indifferences left a huge gap between African Americans and

others in the society. The war on drugs began when most African-Americans became free

citizens, leaving people to wonder whether or not they were the cause of the issue. Although the

answer is unclear as to how the drug issue in the United States started, the war on drugs affected

the African-American community. In order to determine this, the following questions must be

considered:

1. How did the war on drugs begin?

2. What effect did the war on drugs have on the African-American community?

3. Were African-Americans a target?

4. Did the war on drugs lead to mass incarceration in the African-American community?

The following review of literature will discuss the history of racial indifferences, how the war on

drugs affect the African American community, and how blacks are treated by others due to the

racial indifferences.

How did the war on drugs begin?

To determine if the war on drugs had an impact on African-Americans, it is important to

understand the history behind it. In 1971, President Nixons strategy dramatically increases the
size and presence of federal drugs control agencies and pushed through measures such as

mandatory sentencing and no-knock warrants which escalated the war on drugs. (Drug Policy

Alliance).

In 1982, Ronald Reagan declared the War on Drugs. While the War on Drugs was

targeted to the United States of America as a whole, Regans declare on the war on drugs

affected each community differently. The effects the War on Drugs had on each community was

different, because A punitive law enforcement policy of prohibition and interdiction provided

the weapons and, while the professed enemies of the War on Drugs where drug cartels in drug

source countries, those most affected were people of color in inner city neighborhoods, chiefly

African-Americans and Hispanics (Nunn). Although, Most people assume the War on Drugs

was launched in response to the crisis caused by crack cocaine in the inner-city neighborhoods

(Alexander 5), it is surprising to some that drug crime was declining, not rising, when a drug

war was declared (Alexander 7). Once Crack cocaine entered the streets, it was known as the

drug that initiated the cause for a war on drugs. Even before the outbreak of crack cocaine in

poor African-American communities, Reagan declared this war as a modern war on drugs. The

War on Drugs carried on for years because society often relied on Regans measures to determine

how to handle drug crimes in African-American communities.

What effect did the war on drugs have on the African-American community?

During this time many African-American were being arrested for drug possession. One

effect of the War on Drugs was mass incarceration. Mass incarceration started to rise after the

war on drugs was declared: As a consequence of the war on drugs, large number of African-

American males have been virtually erased from African-American communities and
incarceration in prisons and jails (Nunn). The incarceration of these African-Americans in the

poor neighborhood lead to family and economic issues.

Another effect the War on Drugs have on African-Americans are the families beinging

separated because of incarceration. Incarceration not only affected the person going to jail or

prison, but it has created many endemic problems for African-American communities, including

the loss of male role models and fathers for African-American youths, the loss of husbands and

male companions for African-American woman, and the loss of earnings and wealth for the

African-American community (Nunn). This affected a large number of African-Americans

because the family dynamics of a black household would be destroyed, due to losing a male

companion. It also destroys the lives of the African-American youth, because many grow up

repeating the same cycles. Although some households do make it without a male companion, this

incarceration lead to a disorder within the households.

The loss of wealth in these poor communities affected the economic status of African

Americans. Lee Atwater states, all things youre talking about are totally economic things and

the by-product of them is blacks get hurt worse than whites ( DuVernay). The War on Drugs

affected African-American communities in an economic aspect. Instead of working a normal job

that pays at least minimum wage, African-Americans who were incarcerated on drug charges

were paid few cents an hour in some states, and nothing at all in others (King). This put many

African-Americans in the lower class category, because like King states, they were barely getting

paid or not getting paid at all. Once these African-Americans are free they still have troubles

finding a job, because they have been incarcerated and have a criminal background.

Were African-American a target?

 An unscientific survey was conducted to see whether or not African-Americans were a

target during the war on drugs. Thirty-seven people were asked the question, Were African-

Americans a target during the war on drugs. 81.08 percent of the voters answered yes (See

Figure 1). Nunn also agrees that African-American were a target. Stating This means, on

average, African-American males were 7.7 times more likely to be incarcerated than white

males (Nunn 392). This statistic specifically highlights how much more likely black males were

to be incarcerated, proving that African-Americans were in fact a target for the war on drugs.

Due to the fact that communities started declining, a concern from the African-American

community started to arise, because they were realizing that they were the main race being

targeted. The Drug war was declared for the United States not just African-Americans, but even

government officials that were apart of Nixons Advisory admits that the war on drugs is all

about throwing black people in jail. He states The Nixon campaign in 1968 and the Nixon

White House after that, had two enemies the anti war left and black people. You understand what

Im saying. We knew we couldnt make it illegal to be either against the war or black. But by

getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and the blacks with heroin, and then

criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of

Course we did. (DuVernay). This proves that African-Americans were in fact a target, because

government officials believed that African-Americans were the reason for the drug epidemic at

the time.
 Figure 1. Survey responses to the question, Were African-Americans a target during the

war on drugs?

On the other hand, 18.92 percent answered not sure (See Figure 1). This shows that many

people are unaware and uneducated on the war on drugs. This relates to why many African-

Americans go through repeating cycles of the same behavior, generation after generation. Not

only do they lose important figures, but they are also left with no one to teach them about

historical events, one being the War on Drugs.

Additionally, some believe that African-Americans were not the intended targeted, but

instead they made themselves a target by constantly making poor decisions. In the survey no one

answered no to the question asked, but NCPR news believes that African-Americans are

portrayed as passive victims to this, as the prison boom just washed over communities as if they

were completely victimized. Although there is a large number of African-Americans that are

victimized, there is a large number that engages in illegal activity, leading them to jail. This is
evident because 57 percent of the federal prisoners in 2000 were incarcerated for drug offenses

(Nunn). African-American were not forced to take the drugs or participate in drug activities. The

Drugs rates increased in other communities, not just the African-American community. Some

African-Americans made the decision to sale and take drugs, like crack cocaine, which

consequently landed them in jail.

Did the War on Drugs lead to mass incarceration in the African-American

community?

The war on drugs had a huge impact on the African-American community as stated

previously. The impact of the war on drugs lead to mass incarceration in the African-American

community. Many African-American during this time were getting incarceration for minor

crimes such as drug possession. When the war on drugs was first declared the population of

African-Americans criminalized increased tremendously: In some states, black men have been

admitted to prison on drug charges at rates to fifty times greater than those of white

men(Alexander 7). The war on drugs was in fact a leading factor to mass incarceration. Only

those of color were at high risk of being incarcerated.

In contrast, not all say that the war on drugs was a leading factor to mass incarceration.

According to a magazine article, Contrary to what many progressives believe, Gottschalk

argues its not primarily the War on Drugs thats driving this beast. Instead, its an all-out assault

that extends a brute egalitarianism across the board. This proves that the War on Drugs may

not have led to mass incarceration. In fact, stripping away peoples rights was more of the reason

why mass incarceration began.

Conclusion
 The War on Drugs had a huge impact on the African-American community. African-

Americans were targeted in attempt to fix the war on drugs, instead targeting African Americans

communities was just another way to criminalize them. Criminalizing massive groups of African

Americans led to higher arrest, which was the initiation of mass incarceration. The War on Drugs

led to harsh effects toward African-Americans.

 Works Cited

13th Documentary. Dir. Ava DuVernay. Netflix. Reed Hastings, 2016. Web. 2017.

<https://www.netflix.com/watch/80091741?

trackId=12752289&tctx=0%2C0%2C33358a7d-ad5d-4ee3-b57d-ab6652de9efa-

93392189>.

Alexander, Michelle. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.

New York: The New Press, 2010. Print.

King, Shaun. "How The 13th Amendment Didn't Really Abolish Slavery, But Let It Live

On In U.S Prisons." NyDailyNews. N.p., 21 Sept. 2016. Web.

Nunn, Kenneth B. "Race, Crime and the Pool of Surplus Criminality: Or Why the "War on

Drugs" Was a "War on Blacks"." Gender, Race, and Justice (2002): 382-445.

2002. Web. Feb. 2017.

<http://scholarship.law.ufl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1178&context=facultypub>.

"A Brief History of the Drug War." Drug Policy Alliance. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

Aug 19, 2013 by NCPR News , in New York City, NY. "Why Did Black Leaders Support

America's Drug War for so Long?" NCPR. N.p., 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 17

Mar. 2017.

"It's Not Just the Drug War." Reason in Revolt Jacobin n.d.: n. pag. Web.

<https://www.jacobinmag.com/2015/03/mass-incarceration-war-on-drugs/>.