African american Quote by Michelle Alexander
“Today there are more African-Americans under correctional control — in prison or jail, on probation or parole — than were enslaved in 1850, a decade before the Civil War began. There are millions of African-Americans now cycling in and out of prisons and jails or under correctional control. In major American cities today, more than half of working-age African-American men are either under correctional control or branded felons and are thus subject to legalized discrimination for the rest of their lives.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander, 2010
Mass incarceration disproportionately affects African-American men, creating a modern caste system akin to slavery.
In simple terms: Mass incarceration creates a modern caste system for black men.
Key Takeaway
Address systemic bias and reform criminal justice.
Themes
justice
racism
incarceration
systemic inequality
civil rights
Mood
urgent
somber
Type
political
social
educational
When to use this quote
- policy reform
- community activism
- education
- legal advocacy
Key Concepts
sociology
law
public policy
Questions to Reflect On
- How can society dismantle this modern caste?
- What role does public awareness play?
A Different Perspective
Reform alone may not erase deep-rooted biases.
![“[T]he slave went free; stood a brief moment in the sun; then moved back again toward slavery. —W.E.B Du Bois, Black Reconstruction in America For” quote by Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fdb/michelle-alexander-750_slavery_t-he-slave-went-free-stood-a-brief-momen_96485.jpg)
