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A review by horizonous
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (10th Anniversary Edition) by Michelle Alexander
challenging
informative
slow-paced
2.75
I fully agree that the War on Drugs disproportionately affected black communities throughout the United States and that the U.S. justice system needs a complete overhaul, but I'm having a hard time recommending this particular book to anyone who wants to start learning about these topics.
I not only found it to be heavily biased, bordering on going through a list of liberal talking points, tiringly repetitive and at times dated (even though I read the 10th anniversary editon). The more I read the more I also became aware of the author's way of presenting some of her statements without properly backing them up or cherry-picking facts in order to underline her arguments.
I'm well aware that I'm in the minority with my opinions, but I really do hope I will find better books about these topics in the future and in the meantime I will re-watch the Netflix documentary The 13th. In my recollection this film was truly eye-opening and a must-watch for anyone who doesn't know where to start with their education about the intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States, which I unfortunately cannot say about The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.
I not only found it to be heavily biased, bordering on going through a list of liberal talking points, tiringly repetitive and at times dated (even though I read the 10th anniversary editon). The more I read the more I also became aware of the author's way of presenting some of her statements without properly backing them up or cherry-picking facts in order to underline her arguments.
I'm well aware that I'm in the minority with my opinions, but I really do hope I will find better books about these topics in the future and in the meantime I will re-watch the Netflix documentary The 13th. In my recollection this film was truly eye-opening and a must-watch for anyone who doesn't know where to start with their education about the intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States, which I unfortunately cannot say about The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Police brutality
Moderate: Slavery and Violence
Minor: Racial slurs