The Reconstruction of a Caste System in America

The thought that there has been a caste system created in this country right under our noses is utterly amazing. The idea that the systematic mass incarceration of people of color over the past 30 years has resulted in a system of legalized discrimination, almost paralleling Jim Crow in magnitude and arguably surpassing it in impact is mind boggling. The fact that we, middle class, law abiding folks ignored it because it was impacting “criminals” and “someone else” is even more telling about us as a society, as a people. What opened my eyes are the facts and the statistics -- the injustice in deciding who ultimately gets labeled a criminal or a felon in this “war on drugs” and who doesn’t. How long are we going to let mainstream media pull the wool over our eyes and keep us believing that arrests are an indicator of actual crimes versus whose being targeted for arrest? I wonder what it will take for us to wake up.

What are the key facts that opened my eyes??? Well I spent the day researching Michelle Alexander’s book, “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness”. Her labeling it a caste system is what finally opened my eyes -- that and the facts that I hear repeated over and over again:

· that the rate of drug usage and sales is virtually the same across all races

· that African Americans constitute 13% of drug users, but 35% of arrest for possession, 55% of convictions, and 74% of prison sentences

· that in at least 15 states, black men were sent to prison on drug charges at rates ranging from 20 to 57 times those of white men.

· that the war on drugs that is responsible for this mass incarceration was started by Republican strategists to win over Southern whites to the Republican party by capitalizing on the politics of racial fear and hatred by putting a black face on drug use and crime; its amazing how successful this strategy has been.

One of the most moving experiences I ever had was visiting a relative in prison. It hurt me so much to see families there, as if they were on a picnic, as if it was the norm – and in many communities it is, hence the popular phrase “he’s locked up”. I am sure I embarrassed the relative I visited because I was crying the whole time; I couldn’t stop crying as I watched fathers kiss their children goodbye. It was devastating. And when those men got/get out, particularly those with felonies, what will be waiting for them??? A lifetime of discrimination, so much so that many will choose crime as a way out, or as a way back to a “safety net” of prison.

That’s why I had such a hard time celebrating the recent change in the disparity in sentencing for crack cocaine versus regular cocaine from a ration of 100:1 to 18:1 – why weren’t the politicians interested in erasing the disparity – why just reduce it? I remember watching a drug raid of a housing project in the movie American Violet (that was based on a true story) in total disbelief that police could just raid whole communities – that would never be tolerated in middle class America.

We have to stop believing the hype. We have to start caring as much about people victimized by systematic racism as we do about pets victimized by people. I stopped making New Year's resolutions a long time ago, but I think I’ll make one this year - to try to raise awareness for this new caste system that’s been created by the War on Drugs and mass incarceration and to try to provoke understanding for those who have been victimized by it. Those whose parents and families didn’t have the resources to purchase their “get out of jail free card”.

some prison statistics were pulled from "The Covenant with Black America", by Tavis Smiley