Monday, November 12, 2012
Raised Brow
To all my people reading, "The New Jim Crow," this week I had several raised brow moments. As I read chapters 3 and 4, on a few occasions, I cringed when Alexander made her blanket connections to the Jim Crow Era in the South. I understand the similarities. I understand the connections in political and economic disenfranchisement. I agree with her mostly. I want to agree with her 100%. Yet, a part of me still thinks this comparison is a bit stretched. I don't want to belittle the intentionally disastrous beast that is our prison industrial complex in America, but I also can't help but think of Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit," visualize the charred black bodies dangling from trees, and wonder if there is any damage in Alexander's comparison. When I think of Emmet Till, imagine his bloated and unrecognizable face, and then consider the young men behind bars, I hurt. I see that both were/are being destroyed at such as young age, but at the same time, Alexander needs to account for the differences, (Yes, I do understand that violence takes many forms and each one can have the same magnitude).
In 1892, after Reconstruction and into the Jim Crow Era, Ida B. Wells wrote a piece similar Alexander, "Southern Horrors." Within this writing, she talks about the socially constructed image of black men and how it led to physical violence and lynchings. Still, Ida B. Wells had to flee for her life after she produced this work. There was a price on her head. Alexander writes from a position of increased privilege, yet she does little to address those differences. While there are some comparisons to our current legal system and those of the Jim Crow South, I need Alexander to dig a little deeper. I'm not saying she's wrong. I won't say that she's wrong. I just think there's something behind that curtain that she should also show. Part of that display should be her own privilege in writing this book.
Regardless, our prison system is something that everyone should be increasingly concern about. It is designed to further marginalize and oppressed specific minority groups, and little is being done to counteract its damages. We must somehow devise strategies to dismantle it. I will support that thesis until I die.
I guess we'll see how the rest of this book goes.
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Thank you for your critique. I'm not in this discussion group, but I did check out the book to read a few chapters, and was additionally not sure if the comparison entirely held water (but like you, felt this was an important, important book.)
ReplyDeleteCan you explain more what you mean by the author's own privilege? Do you mean her privilege as a member of academe? I had not thought of that angle and would love to hear more of your thoughts. - Jessica
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ReplyDeleteThe information in this book has been difficult to digest, for obvious reasons. I think it’s clear that these injustices against black and brown communities (the “closing of courthouse doors”, the racial targeting, the laws that result in unreasonable odds against minorities) are still very prevalent. I mean, it’s happening in my own backyard (SB1080), and sadly, it wasn’t until I began to take these classes when I really began to understand the implications behind legislations determination to shut down ethnic studies programs.
ReplyDeleteTo respond to your response, Aleshia, I’m not sure if Alexander really needs to mention anything about her own privilege. My reasoning is, she’s using her privilege to advocate and support, even represent, this community of people who lack that privilege. I think there is an inherent understanding of self-awareness from those individuals privileged enough to receive an education who defend our less fortunate brothers and sisters in our society. For me, this book is evidence to Alexander’s responsibility, as privileged person, to help a discriminated community.
The last sentence in chapter 4 didn’t seem consistent to me. She says, “If we had actually learned to show love, care, compassion, and concern across racial lines during the Civil Rights Movement—rather than go colorblind—mass incarceration would not exist today.” I guess her statement here sounded to ideal to me. It’s something that wasn’t even attainable during that time period, considering the ideals about slavery and black people that were already so embedded in America’s values and culture.