There is a disportionate amount of African Americans serving time in our criminal justice system. Though, throughout our nation's history, we have been racially divided, the segregation has taken a new form in modern times with the extensive imprisonment of minorities. There are three primary reasons why African-American are overrepresented in American prisons, first the Civil Rights Movement provided a justification for the link between minorities and disorder. Additionally, the imprisonment was expanded by means of the War on Drugs in which minorities were targeted. Lastly, it continues today as a legal form of discrimination, in order to preserve white superiority. The purpose of this paper is to discuss why these reasons have resulted in
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Additionally, although America is home to only 5% of the world's population, it holds 25% of the world’s prisoners (Wagner and Bernadette). These statistics took form after the collapse of Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow materialized after the abolishment of slavery, as a new, accepted form of oppression. The Civil Rights movement, while eradicated these laws, created disquietude among white Southerners, who feared racial integration. Consequently, to stabilize Whites as the superior race, Civil Rights activists were blamed for the nation’s disorder, and African-Americans were criminalized (Alexander). This criminalization continues to command our society, and is a main cause of the lingering racism in our nation. Thus, much like Jim Crow embodied the racial prejudices of slavery, mass incarceration emerged to continue systematic oppression in new …show more content…
Former prisoners find it difficult to obtain work, and are therefore pushed deeper into poverty. Additionally, as registered felons are not allowed to vote, 2.3 million American citizens are unable to insert their political opinion. This lack of prosperity both politically and economically in inner-cities is decreasing the standard of living in these areas, and ultimately “undercut one of the most important victories of the American Civil Rights Movement, the Voting Rights Act of 1965” (Thompson). By diminishing this movement, minorities neither receive equal rights, nor citizenship, fueling legalized
Additionally, although America is home to only 5% of the world's population, it holds 25% of the world’s prisoners (Wagner and Bernadette). These statistics took form after the collapse of Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow materialized after the abolishment of slavery, as a new, accepted form of oppression. The Civil Rights movement, while eradicated these laws, created disquietude among white Southerners, who feared racial integration. Consequently, to stabilize Whites as the superior race, Civil Rights activists were blamed for the nation’s disorder, and African-Americans were criminalized (Alexander). This criminalization continues to command our society, and is a main cause of the lingering racism in our nation. Thus, much like Jim Crow embodied the racial prejudices of slavery, mass incarceration emerged to continue systematic oppression in new …show more content…
Former prisoners find it difficult to obtain work, and are therefore pushed deeper into poverty. Additionally, as registered felons are not allowed to vote, 2.3 million American citizens are unable to insert their political opinion. This lack of prosperity both politically and economically in inner-cities is decreasing the standard of living in these areas, and ultimately “undercut one of the most important victories of the American Civil Rights Movement, the Voting Rights Act of 1965” (Thompson). By diminishing this movement, minorities neither receive equal rights, nor citizenship, fueling legalized