Juneteenth and the New Jim Crow

It's Juneteenth. Let's get educated on TODAY'S version of slavery/lynching...

A CASE STUDY OF COMPOUNDED DISADVANTAGE
A black mother is thrown in jail for a minor infraction (smoking weed?!); they set the bail money so high that she can't afford it, and they keep her locked in prison; meanwhile her children are thrown in the foster care system, and the next generation is pretty much effed, manifesting in homelessness, mental and other health issues, and producing petty criminals, angry and frustrated with the world. Now this cycle goes on and on and on with subsequent generations. Fair?

Hands up if you've ever smoked weed, had a bit too much to drink, got a speeding ticket, or was late paying a bill. If you're still able to get a good job, hold your kids close to you, send them to good schools, get approved for loans and mortgages, and generally been spoken to with respect and understanding even after your errors in judgment... and you look over at a black family and they're not given the same consideration, the same opportunities... do you... shrug? Do you move on your merry way, blissfully ignorant? It's not my fault, not my problem?

You're right, it's not. Not personally. But it affects EVERYONE. I won't get into the data on prison stats, housing, redlining, etc. -- you can look those up. But "The System" needs to change so that it works for Everyone, not just a certain group of people belonging to a specific gender or skin color. Because we all pay for it, with our money, our health & well-being, our safety & security, our future.

This change starts with awareness and education. So read the book, get mad, get outraged, and maybe be inspired to be part of the change.

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness