Drug Policy as Race Policy: Best Seller Galvanizes the Debate

[groovedaddy]

Garry McCarthy, a 30-year veteran of law enforcement, did not expect to hear anything too startling when he appeared at a conference on drug policy organized last year by an African-American minister in Newark, where he was the police director.

But then a law professor named Michelle Alexander took the stage and delivered an impassioned speech attacking the war on drugs as a system of racial control comparable to slavery and Jim Crow — and received a two-minute standing ovation from the 500 people in the audience.

“These were not young people living in high-crime neighborhoods,” Mr. McCarthy, now police superintendent in Chicago, recalled in telephone interview. “This was the black middle class.”

“I don’t believe in the government conspiracy, but what you have to accept is that that narrative exists in the community and has to be addressed,” he said. “That was my real a-ha moment.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/07/books/michelle-alexanders-new-jim-crow-raises-drug-law-debates.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120307

[think]

1. K&R. Michelle Alexander's book The New Jim Crow is now on my reading list

I'd heard her and her work mentioned before but now feel compelled to read her book after reading this review.

[azurnoir]

2. There is a line in the article that reads

“I don’t think Anglo folks have any idea how difficult it is for African-American men who get caught up in the criminal justice system.”

it should be added that it should be taken into account how easy it is for African-American men to get caught up in the justice system

a prime example albeit happened almost 20 years ago is this

it was a cold -20 winter morning around 8:30 am my then husband who is African American had gone out and pulled the car around the front of our house and was running it (warming it up) for me and our infant daughter, he was giving me a ride to work, imagine my horror to come out and him up against the car being searched by 2 squads of Mpls's 'finest'

his crime? sitting in a running car outside a house! now keep in mind he has no criminal record, no warrants, and his drivers license plainly showed he lived at the address he was parked in front of ! His explanation of warming up the car for his wife and daughter was not believable to the cops he must be doing something illegal, most likely drug related, the cops let him go after I came out with our baby and asked what was going on?

no he was not arrested but the incident show the casual harassment that African-American men under go on a frequent basis

BTW it was another Black women who's surname is also Alexander Judge Pamela Alexander that challenged and won local crime laws and sentences that gave far lighter sentences to cocaine (most likely White) than crack (most likely Black) related offenses

[RainDog]

3. I have a link to her speech

in my journal - it's also in the media forum here.

She's a GREAT spokesperson for this issue.