--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In order to make this point, we need to…" description: "\"“In order to make this point, we need to talk about race openly and honestly. We must stop debating crime policy as though it were purely about crime. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72c/michelle-alexander-750_care-and-concern_in-order-to-make-this-point-we-need-to-t_2948258.jpg" --- # In order to make this point, we need to talk about race… ![“In order to make this point, we need to talk about race openly and honestly. We must stop debating crime policy as though it were purely about crime. People must come to understand the racial history and origins of mass incarceration—the many ways our conscious and unconscious biases have…” quote by Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72c/michelle-alexander-750_care-and-concern_in-order-to-make-this-point-we-need-to-t_2948258.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72c/michelle-alexander-750_care-and-concern_in-order-to-make-this-point-we-need-to-t_2948258.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72c/michelle-alexander-750_care-and-concern_in-order-to-make-this-point-we-need-to-t_2948258.jpg) > ““In order to make this point, we need to talk about race openly and honestly. We must stop debating crime policy as though it were purely about crime. People must come to understand the racial history and origins of mass incarceration—the many ways our conscious and unconscious biases have distorted our judgments over the years about what is fair, appropriate, and constructive when responding to drug use and drug crime. We must come to see, too, how our economic insecurities and racial resentments have been exploited for political gain, and how this manipulation has caused suffering for people of all colors. Finally, we must admit, out loud, that it was because of race that we didn’t care much what happened to “those people” and imagined the worst possible things about them. The fact that our lack of care and concern may have been, at times, unintentional or unconscious does not mitigate our crime—if we refuse, when given the chance, to make amends.”” [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Addressing race openly is essential to understand and reform mass incarceration, exposing bias and political exploitation **In simple terms:** Talking about race openly is key to fixing mass incarceration Key Takeaway Confront racial bias in policy discussions Themes social justice race mass incarceration policy bias political manipulation Mood serious urgent Type activist educational When to use this quote - law reform debates - community forums - educational workshops Key Concepts Critical race theory systemic inequality policy reform Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster honest race conversations? - What steps reduce bias in policy? A Different Perspective Open dialogue may trigger defensive reactions ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care and concern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care-and-concern/) [Drug use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug-use/) [Incarceration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incarceration/) [Mass incarceration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-incarceration/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [Yes, I discuss race openly, honestly and, hopefully, intelligently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/yes-i-discuss-race-openly-honestly-and-hopefully-intelligently/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [“At the time the drug war was declared, illegal drug use and abuse was not a pressing concern in most communities. 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Each day is a finished whole. The present day marks the boundary of our cares…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/each-morning-is-a-new-beginning-of-our-life-each-day-is-a-finished/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“From the day I was born, more than any other of my siblings, the bond that developed between my maternal grandfather and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vd/from-the-day-i-was-born-more-than-any-other-of-my-siblings-the-bond/) VD > [“Nor is it the spirit of those Christians - alas, they are many - whose ambition in life seems limited to building a nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/nor-is-it-the-spirit-of-those-christians-alas-they-are-many-whose/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [Students deserve our care and concern on the grounds of principle, not personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-gregory/students-deserve-our-care-and-concern-on-the-grounds-of-principle-not/) [Marshall Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-gregory/) > [Here above the farms and ranches of the Great Plains aviation lives up to the promise that inspired dreamers through the ages. Here you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-coonts/here-above-the-farms-and-ranches-of-the-great-plains-aviation-lives/) [Stephen Coonts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-coonts/) > [President Obama has made it his mission that we welcome our troops home with care and concern and the respect they deserve. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/president-obama-has-made-it-his-mission-that-we-welcome-our-troops/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [The highest form of love is unconditional love, where you love others without expecting anything in return. And you dont need any reason to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sannica/the-highest-form-of-love-is-unconditional-love-where-you-love-others/) [Sannica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sannica/) > [All things need watching, working at, caring for, and marriage is no exception. Marriage is not something to be indifferently treated or abused, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-l-evans/all-things-need-watching-working-at-caring-for-and-marriage-is-no/) [Richard L. Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-l-evans/) ## More by Michelle Alexander > [If you ask for good schools, you aren't likely to get them. If you ask for jobs or economic investment, you won't get that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/if-you-ask-for-good-schools-you-aren-t-likely-to-get-them-if-you-ask/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [The uncomfortable reality we must face is that California, like the nation as a whole, has treated generations of African Americans and Latinos as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/the-uncomfortable-reality-we-must-face-is-that-california-like-the/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [“Seeing race is not the problem. Refusing to care for the people we see is the problem. The fact that the meaning of race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/seeing-race-is-not-the-problem-refusing-to-care-for-the-people-we-see/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [Since the nations founding, African Americans repeatedly have been controlled through institutions such as slavery and Jim Crow, which appear to die but then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/since-the-nations-founding-african-americans-repeatedly-have-been/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [“Felon disenfranchisement laws have been more effective in eliminating black voters in the age of mass incarceration than they were under Jim Crow…These figures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/felon-disenfranchisement-laws-have-been-more-effective-in-eliminating/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [“That was King’s dream—a society that is capable of seeing each of us, as we are, with love. That is a goal worth fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/that-was-king-s-dream-a-society-that-is-capable-of-seeing-each-of-us/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [Activists take the risks, while advocates are professional tinkerers with the system. What's necessary is for those who are advocates to support those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/activists-take-the-risks-while-advocates-are-professional-tinkerers/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [“Civil rights protests were frequently depicted as criminal rather than political in nature, and federal courts were accused of excessive “lenience” toward lawlessness, thereby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/civil-rights-protests-were-frequently-depicted-as-criminal-rather/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [We cannot 'fix' the police without a revolution of values and radical change to the basic structure of our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/we-cannot-fix-the-police-without-a-revolution-of-values-and-radical/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [If we continue to tell ourselves the popular myths about racial progress or, worse yet, if we say to ourselves that the problem of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/if-we-continue-to-tell-ourselves-the-popular-myths-about-racial/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [The mass incarceration of poor people of color, particularly black men, has emerged as a new caste system, one specifically designed to address the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/the-mass-incarceration-of-poor-people-of-color-particularly-black-men/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [ “\[T\]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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/t-he-slave-went-free-stood-a-brief-moment-in-the-sun-then-moved-back/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [If you take into account prisoners, a large majority of African American men in some urban areas, like Chicago, have been labeled felons for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/if-you-take-into-account-prisoners-a-large-majority-of-african/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [“A new civil rights movement cannot be organized around the relics of the earlier system of control if it is to address meaningfully the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/a-new-civil-rights-movement-cannot-be-organized-around-the-relics-of/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [The rules and reasons the political system employs to enforce status relations of any kind, including racial hierarchy, evolve and change as they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/the-rules-and-reasons-the-political-system-employs-to-enforce-status/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) [Explore all 381 Michelle Alexander quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) ## More Care and concern quotes > [All things need watching, working at, caring for, and marriage is no exception. 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Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Here above the farms and ranches of the Great Plains aviation lives up to the promise that inspired dreamers through the ages. Here you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-coonts/here-above-the-farms-and-ranches-of-the-great-plains-aviation-lives/) [Stephen Coonts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-coonts/) > [Students deserve our care and concern on the grounds of principle, not personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-gregory/students-deserve-our-care-and-concern-on-the-grounds-of-principle-not/) [Marshall Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-gregory/) > [“Nor is it the spirit of those Christians - alas, they are many - whose ambition in life seems limited to building a nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/nor-is-it-the-spirit-of-those-christians-alas-they-are-many-whose/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [“From the day I was born, more than any other of my siblings, the bond that developed between my maternal grandfather and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vd/from-the-day-i-was-born-more-than-any-other-of-my-siblings-the-bond/) VD > [Each morning is a new beginning of our life. Each day is a finished whole. The present day marks the boundary of our cares…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/each-morning-is-a-new-beginning-of-our-life-each-day-is-a-finished/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [To my mind, having a care and concern for others is the highest of the human qualities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hollows/to-my-mind-having-a-care-and-concern-for-others-is-the-highest-of-the/) [Fred Hollows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hollows/) > [Most asylum seekers do get permanent visas, so the earlier they receive the appropriate help, the faster they will become part of the community.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-fraser/most-asylum-seekers-do-get-permanent-visas-so-the-earlier-they/) [Malcolm Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-fraser/) > [“With the invention of the city and its powerful combination of economies of scale coupled to innovation and wealth creation came the great divisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-west/with-the-invention-of-the-city-and-its-powerful-combination-of/) [Geoffrey West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-west/) > [“From the day I was born, more than any other of my siblings or relatives, the bond that developed between my maternal grandfather and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vd/from-the-day-i-was-born-more-than-any-other-of-my-siblings-or/) VD > [“More than any other of my siblings or relatives, the bond that developed between my maternal grandfather and I, from the day I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vd/more-than-any-other-of-my-siblings-or-relatives-the-bond-that/) VD > [China is not ruled by a monolithic regime where one guy makes the decisions without regard to the sentiments of other leaders or care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-bush/china-is-not-ruled-by-a-monolithic-regime-where-one-guy-makes-the/) [Neil Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-bush/) > [“Just as we need battle support from our brothers and sisters in the Lord in spiritual warfare, they need it from us, so we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-borgman/just-as-we-need-battle-support-from-our-brothers-and-sisters-in-the/) Brian Borgman [Browse all 28 Care and concern quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care-and-concern/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In order to make this point, we need to talk about race openly and honestly. 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