The HuffingtonPost.com identifies Alexander as: a longtime civil rights advocate and litigator. She won a 2005 Soros Justice Fellowship and now holds a joint appointment at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity and the Mortiz College of Law at Ohio State University. Alexander served for several years as director of the Racial Justice Project at the ACLU of Northern California, and subsequently directed the Civil Rights Clinics at Stanford Law School, where she was an associate professor. Alexander is a former law clerk for Justice Harry Blackmun on the U.S. Supreme Court, and has appeared as a commentator on CNN, MSNBC, and NPR. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness is her first book.
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She will be at Bradley University at 12 noon that day for a book signing also.
I read about her on Huffington Post. The thought that the entire drug mess was a planned deal sickens me. I agree, there are entirely too many young people of color behind bars. I also believe our laws need to be changed regarding punishment for drug crimes. Going to jail for pot or other minor offenses is ridiculous. I would love to see more books and more media hype promoting education because I truly believe that is where most people who are hopeful will find success. Alexander should prove to be an interesting speaker.
Courtesy of peoriastory.com:
Illinois now has a record number of prison inmates, the Chicago Tribune says. The situation is costing Illinois taxpayers plenty, and endangering the lives of the inmates in overcrowded prisons.
Writing in the Huffington Post, Alexander stated:
"...crime rates do not explain the sudden and dramatic mass incarceration of African Americans during the past 30 years. Crime rates have fluctuated over the past few decades -- and currently are at historical lows -- but imprisonment rates have soared. Quintupled. And the vast majority of that increase is due to the War on Drugs, a war waged almost exclusively in poor communities of color, even though studies consistently show that people of all colors use and sell illegal drugs at remarkably similar rates. In fact, some studies indicate that white youth are significantly more likely to engage in illegal drug dealing than black youth."
A review of Alexander's book states: "Michelle Alexander has produced the best book ever written on mass incarceration and the war on drugs."
The review notes that mass incarceration is basically a racist system of social control, not crime control. Read that review for a more detailed argument.
The HuffingtonPost.com identifies Alexander as: a longtime civil rights advocate and litigator. She won a 2005 Soros Justice Fellowship and now holds a joint appointment at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity and the Mortiz College of Law at Ohio State University. Alexander served for several years as director of the Racial Justice Project at the ACLU of Northern California, and subsequently directed the Civil Rights Clinics at Stanford Law School, where she was an associate professor. Alexander is a former law clerk for Justice Harry Blackmun on the U.S. Supreme Court, and has appeared as a commentator on CNN, MSNBC, and NPR. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness is her first book.
This was truly a great program. Too bad the press nor the bloggers chose to pronote this. So much for dealing with wht ails this community.
Maybe there was sarcasm in the title. "In the Age of Colorblindness"
Too bad the press nor the blogging community chose to promote this event. It truly was a great program.
Maybe there was sarcasm in the title that fits this community - "In the Age of Colorblindness"
Elaine Hopkins is a blogger and she wrote about the book and the issue. The author was on WMBD in the morning--unfortunately, I missed it because I wasn't home. I admit the $20 charge kept me from going to the event--too many demands on my $20 bills during Christmas.
Sharon, I have a lot of respect for you but give me a break. Yes Elaine posted it and she sent out the press release but nowhere was it released in the media to let people know it was happening nor did any of you professional commenters event comment on this blog or any other including you until just now. And no, the author was not on WMBD in the morning. That was still the day of anyway had she be on the show.
If $20 dollars was a problem for you then you should have said something to me and I would a put a word in for you. ( I know the promoter quite well)
I recorded Michelle Alexander's speech Monday night, & it will air on CAPtions Sunday, Dec. 12th 5 pm on Comcast Cable 22. Here is a 2 minute video preview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKTgZGF9Zqc&feature=player_embedded#!
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