Reviews with content warning for Slavery - The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

I'm glad I finally got to read this after having it on my shelf for so long. It's an important political touchstone for a reason. Well reasoned and well researched. It's amazing how the impact of this book has been felt in the last few years, to the point where this book almost seems not to go far enough, since discussions of abolition are more mainstream. Still, very foundational.

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meganpbennett's review

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challenging dark informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

The New Jim Crow starts with an interesting premise, and explains it quite well. It focuses on Black men in America, specifically Black men who have been arrested, have served jail time, are currently incarcerated, or have been released on parole or similar. It also looks at how we got here, how we went from slavery to the War on Drugs.

The author acknowledges that this book has a very narrow focus, and I think that this narrow focus helps the book. While it would have been helpful and informative for there to have been sections on Hispanic men or Black women, keeping the focus on Black men emphasized how 'colorblind' politics really aren't, and how the modern day prison industrial complex had its roots in Slavery, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow.

It's a fascinating, if depressing, read about something that most people don't think about in modern day America - prisoners, parolees, those who have been arrested, those who have pled guilty, those who have to "check the box".

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nytephoenyx's review against another edition

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emotional informative slow-paced

4.75

I can see why this book was getting so much love around June 2020 – it’s a strong argument against the “war on drugs” and incarceration because of the disproportionate it affect it has on Black men. As of now, it’s a bit of an older book, enough so that it warranted a lengthy introduction by Alexander in the 10th anniversary edition explaining the choice to focus of Black men and the way Obama’s presidency did not improve the overall situation as she explains it.

A lot of The New Jim Crow made me think, which is the best thing in non-fiction books, especially those centered around social justice. Despite my efforts at educating myself and being bettering humbles me in remembering that I have barely scratched the surface in discovering how deeply systematic racism defines the United States. Take Obama’s presidency for example – I agree with Alexander when she states that many people look at that and assume things are getting better. I come from a place of privilege to be able to even consider such things when a firm picture from a different perspective so clearly illustrates how prejudiced the system is.

Alexander presents her case with a strong voice and a surplus of evidence. In many ways, I felt she was simply lifting the veil to things that should be obvious. I found the conversation on “color blindness” particularly interesting as in the last few years we’ve learned how damaging that perspective can be.

The New Jim Crow is essential reading for anyone who is serious about their antiracism work. Full stop. This is an excellent book, extremely educational, well-written, and eye-opening. If you care about equity in the United States, this is a good place to learn about oppression as executed through the criminal justice system.

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katsbooks's review against another edition

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challenging reflective tense slow-paced

5.0

“The genius of the current caste system, and what most distinguishes it from its predecessors, is that it appears voluntary."

"As a criminal, you have scarcely more rights, and arguably less respect, than a black man living in Alabama at the height of Jim Crow. We have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.”

“African Americans are not significantly more likely to use or sell prohibited drugs than whites, but they are made criminals at drastically higher rates for precisely the same conduct.”

“Today’s lynching is a felony charge. Today’s lynching is incarceration. Today’s lynch mobs are professionals. They have a badge; they have a law degree. A felony is a modern way of saying, ‘I’m going to hang you up and burn you.’ Once you get that F, you’re on fire.”

“Seeing race is not the problem. Refusing to care for the people we see is the problem."

What a powerful book. Alexander presents a compelling argument for mass incarceration as the current vehicle of America's racial caste system. It was at the same time enlightening yet enraging to see how history continues to play out in much the same way. As a history teacher, I know I shouldn't be surprised but I always am. I can't decide if it makes me lose faith in humanity because we consistently find ways to oppress one another or gives me more hope because we also consistently fight against it. As I'm sure many reviewers have said, this book should be required reading. It takes a hard look at our criminal justice system and how it has become not much more than a form of social control since the 1960s. It would love to see this book updated in the near future. It's just over 10 years old now. It was published during the Obama administration and I am incredibly interested to learn what kinds of movements or progress has been made (or not made) since the original publication of this book.

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