Freedom Rides Of The 1960s: Documentary Analysis

(45) - Thus far throughout our discussions and readings revolving around the terms of Race and segregation in the United States, I have personally learned many valuable things that in the future, can perhaps aid me in the creation of an advocacy program advocating against the many discriminatory actions that are currently being taken against our communities. One thing that I am willing to do in the fight against policies that harm disadvantage communities, is the organization of people to march and speak on these issues just like it happened during the Freedom Rides of the 1960s; the approach has a different objective then the freedom rides, but I truly believe that if we pressure and show in large numbers, many politicians would perhaps …show more content…
Mass incarceration does not fix crime or change our society towards the good; rather it creates a system of disadvantages and repression towards African Americans and other minorities currently living in the United States. In the documentary The house I live in, it is possible to see how the sociological driven fear of crime and drugs, has created things such as the three strikes rule, that in term position America as the country with the highest incarceration rate and one with some of toughest laws on minor offenses. Though supporters of the "war on drugs" can imply that the actions revolving around this term are for the common good, slowly, these tactics have been taking not only the rights, but the meaning and importance of the Civil Rights movement. By targeting and making African Americans the largest representation of incarceration, we are not only hindering their individual futures, but also the futures of their respective communities. Laws like the three strike rule, in my opinion, have no context to them; we imprison young African Americans, and when we decide it is time to release them from correctional facilities, they have no future, so what happens then? They go back to their old ways and the cycle just keeps going on a repetitive rotation due to lack of rehabilitation programs within our Criminal Justice system. A good example of the lack of rehabilitation and support programs in our society comes when the young African American female by the name of Shanequia Benites in the documentary The House I live in states that her teachers did not care, officers just give the members of the community hard time, and this is the reason why many of them end up turning to the streets for