Summary Of The New Jim Crow

The New Jim Crow describes how institutionalized racism has taken hold in the American Justice system. In the first chapter, Michelle Alexander runs through the history of racial castes in the United States, from the beginnings of slavery, to Jim crow and eventually the “law and order” rhetoric that developed into the system in place today. The book moves on to point out the server flaws in the justice system. These flaws, according to Alexander, are found within each step of the journey to jail or probation. Areas where racist acts can slip in virtually undetected, whether it be in the arrest, the accusation, or sentencing. Throughout the book it is shown how discriminating the policies in place can be. Much of the book describes the consequences that follow convicted felons, whether they are guilty or not, and how the system is racially biased. Banned from public housing, discriminated against by those hiring, essentially trapped as a second class citizen. A racial caste, developed years after slavery and Jim Crow have been dismantled. Alexander establishes her argument that the U.S justice system and the “war on drugs” is merely a means of racial control, hiding under the label of “colorblind”.
In an age of “colorblindness”, this book fights against the notion that a colorblind society is a fair society. Alexander writes that the idea of a colorblind society helped create a racist system of mass incarceration. Alexander believes that those who are devoted to justice and civil rights should dispute the notion of colorblindness and show others the true face of mass incarceration. The book unearths some of the implications of supreme court rulings and gives voice to those whose lives were destroyed by the justice system. Alexander challenges the new generation of activists to face this new racial caste system, to be fully committed to dismantling