A review by mchester24
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

4.0

I would call this book a must-read for anyone who wants a detailed look at the history of the War on Drugs, and the associated perils that it has brought for the African American community as it replaced the old Jim Crowe system of marginalization and disenfranchisement. This book couldn't be more relevant than in today's climate as many people struggle to understood the deep-seeded anger and frustrations that have boiled over in today's dialogues about racism. I feel I came away with a greater understanding of how such a system of oppression can and does persist in a supposedly colorblind society with a population of people who would largely describe them self as anything but racist.

I recommend this book if those topics interest you, and you'd like to have the tools to talk about race in today's society with a historical context and an understanding of how much work is yet to be done. And I recommend a slow, deliberate read-- because every page is packed with important information and some complex ideas that are worth careful consideration.