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Amira Tanbakji

AP English

Mrs. Percival

AP 11 Summer Reading

August 28, 2019

“Underlying” Racism in the American Government

In the book​ The New Jim Crow, ​published in 2010, Michelle Alexander discusses racial

injustice, mass incarceration, and the underlying racism of many of the acts and movements in

the United States of America. She gives examples of times in history where laws or acts were

passed with the intention of targeting people of color. Alexander quotes highly regarded

individuals, such as Cornel West, that support her claims. She asks thought-provoking, rhetorical

questions, to her audience which cause them to reflect and ponder. Some of Alexander’s most

striking points were about the War on Drugs, racial discrimination in the criminal justice system,

and racial stereotypes/stigmas. These topics are in conjunction with each other, and deliver her

points exceptionally.

In order to fully grasp the points that were asserted by Alexander in ​The New Jim Crow​,

one must understand the concept of Jim Crow. The term Jim Crow was used to refer to a set of

laws that allowed racial segregation. The name was derived from the lyrics of a song which

insulted the African-American race. The song was titled “Jump Jim Crow” and was used to mock

African-Americans as well as to target an African-American slave who was disabled.

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Performances of said songs were done by white people who dressed in stereotypical

African-American attire and did blackface, a term used to refer to when people use dark makeup

on their face and body to replicate and mock the skin of African-Americans. The term gained

popularity, and thus became the name for the laws of segregation in the United States.

Arguably one of the most controversial topics that Alexander mentioned in The New Jim

Crow was the War on Drugs. The War on Drugs is a movement that began in the 1970s and is

still present today. The purpose of the War on Drugs is to regulate and cease illegal drugs from

being used and distributed, as well as being held in the possession of anyone. The government

does this by increasing the severity of the consequences that one might face when convicted of

drug use, as well as by enforcing searches on individuals suspected of drug use. At surface level,

this seems like a reasonable, non-discriminative movement to protect citizens. However, if one

slightly delves into the methods and laws associated with it, the racist and discriminatory

connotations are quite blatant.

Alexander states that “in the Drug War, the enemy is racially defined,” as the evident

targets of the War on Drugs movement are people of color (98). Alexander describes moments in

which police have confronted and searched individuals for drugs whose only apparent reason for

suspicion was their dark skin: “Terrance Bostick, a twenty-eight year old African American, had

been sleeping in the back seat of a Greyhound bus on his way from Miami to Atlanta. Two

police officers, wearing bright green “raid” jackets and displaying their badges and gun, woke

him with a start. (...) The officers then asked to search his bag. Bostick complied, even though he

knew his bag contained a pound of cocaine. The officers had no basis for suspecting Bostick of
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any criminal activity, but they got lucky (63). Actions like these defy the Fourth Amendment, as

the police did not have a search warrant nor did Bostick show any signs of crime.

The Fourth Amendment of the United States constitution states that citizens have the

right to have privacy regarding their documents, homes, and possessions. It also requires police

officers and other government affiliated officials to carry a search warrant when conducting a

search.​ ​This leads to another point that Alexander made, “Never do the officers inform

passengers that they are free to remain silent or to refuse to answer questions (63). The officers

failing to inform people of their rights as an American citizen is denying them that right,

especially when the are clearly targeting a minority that is constantly discriminated against. Not

only are people unaware of their right to refuse a search without a warrant, but “hardly anyone

dares to say no,” and with good reason (65). On many ocasions, especially ones that are recent

and ocurring in the 21st century, refusing to be searched results in police brutality, which most

commonly occurs with people of color, going hand in hand with the topic of racial

discrimination.

Regarding the criminal justice system, racial discrimination is highly prominent.

Alexander stated that, “in at least fifteen states, blacks are admitted to prison on drug charges at a

rate from twenty to fifty-seven times greater than that of white men” (96). This statistic that she

mentioned provides an idea of how the government targets people of color. However, some may

disagree with that statement and try to argue that, perhaps, it is solely because African-American

people truly do commit more drug offenses than white people. This point of view is proved

wrong by another statistic presented by Alexander, in which she states the following: “Although

the majority of illegal drug users and dealers nationwide are white, three-fourths of all people
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imprisoned for drug offenses have been black or Latino” (96, 97). This statement not only acts as

proof that the police/government are intentionally quarrying people of color, but also disregards

drug offenses that white people have made.

Stigmas and stereotypes associated with people of color are one of the main reasons that

they seem to be the prioritized target of the government. White supremacy and the need to

expand it also plays into the mistreatment of people of color. African-Americans have constantly

been associated with racist stereotypes such as violence, robbery, drugs, etc. Many arrests

towards African-Americans are fueled by these stereotypes. One of the most common stigmas

surrounding black culture is the association with gangs, and the way that African-Americans who

reside in ”ghetto” areas act. Labeling impoverished and poverty-stricken areas with the word

“ghetto” and associating it with Black people despite the reasoning behind why many people of

color face poverty being racism is another effect of white supremacy. Its no coincidence that

many people of color, especially Black people, face poverty. Neighborhoods being redlined and

then gentrified is often overlooked. Other stereotypes include gangsta rap, sagging, and rapping

about abusing their women (165). These stigmas have roots in slavery and have been associated

and forced upon African-American communities for so long, that some of them have learned to

embrace it: “There is absolutely nothing abnormal or surprising about a severely stigmatized

group embracing their stigma. Psychologists have long observed that when people feel

hopelessly stigmatized, a powerful coping strategy---often the only apparent route to

self-esteem---is embracing one's stigmatized identity (166). These stigmas have been adapted

into their culture as self-defense and coping mechanism against the masses. This doesn't mean

that they necessarily want things to be this way.

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One of Alexander’s proposed solutions to racial injustice, poor treatment of

people of color, and violence and prejudice toward African-Americans is for everyone to be

united, including white people. In order for racial prejudice to end, everyone needs to come to

terms with the fact that it is occurring, rather than deny it. Denial is the obstacle in the way of

uniting groups of people in order to overthrow certain laws, Alexander wrote that “dealing with

this system on its own terms is complicated by the problem of denial.” (211) Many people still

have a hard time recognizing and admitting the injustice towards people of color. Until that

obstacle can be overcome, racial injustice will most likely continue to prevail. Alexander also

believes that the power to change the current corrupt system lies in the hands of the next

generation.

Michelle Alexander refers to the mass incarceration and injustice towards people of color

as “The New Jim Crow”, and discusses the effects that they have had and are currently having on

society. Through discussions of the War on Drugs, the caste system, and racial injustice, she

explains to her audience how the government mistreats African-Americans and and views them

as individuals of lower status due to the racism embedded in their culture over time. In order to

overcome this assibe issue, society needs to unite and accept and embrace those who are

oppressed. All issues should be addressed and resolved with the involvement of all races and

statuses, for human rights.

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