The rebirth of the caste system in the United States was the result of the fact that millions of African Americans were locked behind the bars and then they were relegated to a status of the second class in the up thrust of society with negated rights and regulations. It would not be wrong to say that Jim Crow is a realistic account of the truth that nations had to face over the course of time. In accordance with the impression of "triumph overtake” the election of the celebrities such as Barack Obama a majority of Black men in a number of urban areas were under that correctional control or saddled with the record of crime. Jim Crow Laws were wiped off the record of history a long time ago taking into account that an unmet of American population was warehoused in prisons and trapped in the parallel social universe. There was a sheer negation of both human and civil rights such as voting right, the right of legal discrimination in employment, access to education, public benefits and the right of employment along access to other facilities of life. (Erevelles, et, al. 2014, pp. 81-99). Today, it is not adequate and socially permissible to use race as a stance of discrimination, social contempt, and exclusion. In accordance with Jim Crow, it is asserted that it is actually lawful to discriminate and differentiate against the convicted criminals in all the passages of life. Initially, all actions and crimes committed by the Black population were considered under the title of felon either it was a minor drug crime or if there is any form of breaching. Under the impression of law, the old forms of discrimination were highlighted taking into account that it was a redesigning of racial castes in America.
Discussion
The origination of the Jim Crow can be traced back to the time when there was extreme and great Backlash against the reconstruction. The Southern conservatives vowed to redeem the South and acted in support of the Ku Klux Klan that was more like an instrument to redemption. Klan perpetrated as a terrorist campaign that reconstructed leaders and other governments by scaring them with mob violence, bombing, and lynching. The campaign worked to remove the troops from South and slashed funding from the Freedmen's Bureau so that Black can be left on their own. It is significant to note that ten of the thousands African Americans were arrested they were made to work with fines and court costs making them work in order to get rid of the charges. Although there were a number of people who were not able to pay their debts, they were sold and made to work as forced laborers to work on railroad, corporation work as hands and operate through the South. There was an extremely high death rate acclaimed by lack of concern towards the health of the employee such as other White populations. (Erevelles, et, al. 2014, pp. 81-99).
In accordance with the passage of Thirteen Amendment that abolished slavery, there was a major loophole, i.e. slavery was still treated as legal punishment. During the decade that followed redemption, there was ten times increase in the population of convicts, then the recorded ratio of the general public. It is significant to note that African Americans were actually relegated to a state of near defenselessness. Taking into account the success of Redemption in the reassertion of hegemony in terms of Southern Whites, it was inferred that there was no clear information that could address new social order. It is highlighted that the racial prejudice that soaked among the White population was also targeted adhering to the movement that enjoyed progression in the South, adhering to the public discontent. (Glasser, 1999).
The potency of the alliance between African Americans and poor White conservatives restored to the tactics that are utilized at the height of redemption that range from intimidation to terror and bribery. An analysis of the segregation laws highlights that the reaction to the stance of Bacon’s Rebellion was about 200 years earlier and it paved the way for a wage between poor Whites and African American. The racial bribe-initiated programs and the partnership of populist movement assembled other Whites who were realigned with conservatism. With the turn of the twentieth century, several laws were incorporated that refranchised Black and created a pool of discrimination against them in almost all aspects of life. It would not be wrong to call Jim Crow as one of the new social orders and it was also a return to sanity as well as a final settlement. (Glasser, 1999).
Death of Jim Crow
Unlike reconstruction, that was defined and elaborated under the stance of debates that characterize beginning and end, Jim Crow was far more ambiguous. Under the impact of Brown vs. Board of Education, it was considered as death of Jim Crow in 1954 taking into account that there was abroad public opposition to the code of conduct in the North. There are a number of scholars who argue that the end of Jim Crow was not treated as a highlight in the Civil Rights Movement. A decline of the Jim Crow was actually accompanied by the migration of the Blacks in the north and increasing influence in the NAACP. (Alexander, 2012). World War II has played a significant role in creating an impact on the public perception of racism, adhering to the fact that the United States was more like a blatant opposition to Nazism and it was oppression against the European Jews. It is asserted that the US was an unapologetically instrumented in terms of the racial caste system. It is significant to note that the blight in the record of the country that was framed under the impact of the free world was more like a fearful impression because African American became more susceptible to the impression of the communist authority. By 1944, the Supreme Court brought an end to the White primary election in Smith Vs. Allwright taking into account that the state laws that were in favor of segregation in interstate buses were actually termed unconstitutional for two years.
The stance of desegregation was actually picking upstream in terms of the law school of Black that was inherently unequal and inferior in all the respects of comparison to the law school for Whites. The same stance was observed in McLaurin vs. Oklahoma in 1950 that required the state of Oklahoma to desegregate the law schools. The chipped away timeline of “separate but equal” doctrine laid down the foundation of another system that was both alive and well. (Horsford, 2019, pp. 257-275). By that time, desegregation across the South was brought to a screeching halt and grassroots movement was a reaction that was later termed as the Civil Rights Movement. The employment of boycotts sit-ins and other marches activated as a blazed step against the terrorist stance of White mob violence. They persisted again police dogs, fire hoses, bombings, and beatings, taking into account that by 1963 it modified into a literal mass movement. It is significant to note that President Kennedy announced an introduction to civil rights bills. After the assassination of president Kennedy, resident Johnson committed to the aim of racial assimilation that resulted in the form of the movement named as Civil Rights Act of 1964. It was then completed by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that removed a number of barriers to enfranchise African Americans. (Alexander, 2012). The restoration of voting power to African Americans had a swift and potential impact on diverse spectra. One of the facts was voter registration among the Southern Black, taking into account that the rate grew from 19.3% to 6.13%. In Mississippi, it went from 6.7% to 66.5% where Blacks were actually allowed to live in public areas that were initially reserved for the White population. Although all these approaches were a massive success, still civil right leaders went apprehensive taking into account that Blacks were made to stay locked up in poverty by the time no economic reforms are incorporated.
It is significant to note that Anti-poverty efforts also became evident and central to the doctrine of Civil Rights the evolved into “Poor People’s Movement”. It ultimately influenced the efforts that were made for economic inequality. The Poor People’s movement was an approach that crossed racial boundaries in the pursuit of economic justice. One of the major supporters of this approach was Martin Luther who brought Americans to the timeline of interracial alliance to Washington. He observed that there has been a wide degree of progress for Blacks by the time of Civil Right Act of 1964 but that was the last transformation that was both meaningful and deserved radical redistribution of the political and economic power in America. (Horsford, 2019, pp. 257-275). With every preceding movement that initiated multicultural condition under the influence of economic justice, there was a unique form of backlash, it was more like effective adaptation of the culture of post-Civil Rights Movement in America that did not endorse the overt racism. However, the new racial caste system was more like traction and widespread success that paved the way for new race-neutral language.
Birth of Mass Incarceration
In accordance with the rhetoric of “Law and Order” that was employed in 1950, under the impact of southern leaders chalk out ways and mobilized under an opposition to the Civil Rights Movement. The same influence usage was then underpinned under the timeline of “colorblind” vernacular of the new racial caste system. The Civil Rights Activist were involved in direct action and proceedings that could desegregate the public avenues and opportunities and then these actions were reformed by the White lawmakers and police as criminals who enforce the scene of justice among Whites who were against the civil rights legislation. It is asserted that other segregationist took a step ahead taking into account that they insisted on an integration that explicitly caused crime. This impression gained traction despite the publication of FBI reports in terms of the dramatic increase in the national rates of crime. The conservatives denounced and degraded the civil rights activists who suggested that the uprising was caused by the widespread police brutality. It asserted that if Blacks will conduct themselves according to set laws, they will not have to address and cater to police brutality. It is significant to note that there was an acceptable change in discourses, highlighting the blatantly racist agenda from segregationists. (Horsford, 2019, pp. 257-275).
The title, “Cracking down on crime" became a word of mouth that was sung by the lawmakers and politicians across the spectrum of time. There was no discrimination between violent rebellions, tactics of direct action and other traditional crimes taking into account that it was all addressed under the title crime in streets. A major role was played by the Great Depression adhering to the America race relationships and party alignments. “New Deal” was a platform that was initiated by President Franklin in order to mitigate the sufferings among the nation. It is significant to note that these programs were so much diverse however they included Blacks as their beneficiaries at few capacities of implication. The poor and working-class Whites responded with great passion to the economic freedom and African Americans as well taking into account a prompting ascendancy of the Democratic New Deal that paved the way for coalition in the electoral policies from 1932 to 1960. (Riss, 2019, pp. 1064-1064)
As soon as Southern Strategy was formulated, the dominance came to an end, taking into account that law and other codes of conduct were embraced by the White working class and it paved the way for racial reforms that were highly resented. It made Southern conservatives to rely on the fact that creating new majorly with support from White South and remain support from the votes of the blue-collar voter from big cities. It is asserted that Nixon believed and emphasized that the major problem is Black population, taking into account that a new system is required that can mitigate the over appealing impression of Blacks.
Under the impact of liberals, a response was generated for anti-welfare attacks by addressing the role of social reforms in catering to the root cause of crimes. (Alexander, 2012). It was highlighted that the polarizing image of the poor population is either deserving or undeserving, paving the way for a serious Debate. Although the poor and working-class people belonging to White population bore a disproportionate share of the cause of integration, finding it relative to the wealthier counterparts however the affluent White liberals were not included in the category of ordinary working-class people. It would not be wrong to say that law and order became the catch line of Nixon campaign, accompanied by a transformation in the beliefs that address poverty among the working-class population of Whites. (Alexander, 2012). Although there was a shift in terms of code of rights and regulations till there were certain social and political crises that are associated with the aftermath of Civil Rights Movement taking into consideration the widespread controversy on the equality principle. It is important to note that the political clashes were Watergate and Vietnam War area also included under the same stance. Conservatives during that time highly condemned welfare because it was treated as a battle between the lazy Black people and the hardworking White people. Nixon highlights a tag, “War on drugs” that was issued after declaring that all the drugs are illegal. Drugs were termed as a public enemy of the first category. It is evident that Black people were a major target of the castigation that was incorporated under the stance of seemingly neutral workfare queens and the criminal predators.
Although the major assumption and agenda were not colorblind because it failed to address racism, still, it is treated as an apparent promotion of anti-racist approach. Welfare queen is termed an anecdote that was shared by Reagan and it incorporated a coded language that intended to convey greedy ghetto and lazy Black mother. The sentiments of same nature were initiated in terms of food stamps that appealed to White American. Despite all these scenarios, Reagan was one of the major supporters of the federal involvement in terms of fighting crimes taking into account that it was a jurisdiction between local law enforcement authorities and state. (Riss, 2019, pp. 1064-1064) Over the course of time, it was also deciphered that the aim of war against drug has nothing to do with the usage of drugs, in fact, it was one of the extensions of addressing public concerns about race. It is more added that a media offensive was launched with an aim to maintain support and justify the War on Drugs. The campaign had a strong connection with the sensationalizing of the crackdown, addressing the role of Crack cocaine in the neighborhood of the inner city. There were several other changes that were brought into practice such as the economic collapse, disappearance of blue-collar urban factory jobs and the shift in globalization that moved job option to broad countries with the union. It is significant to note that the workers were paid with low wages as compared to that of United States.
It is highlighted that the major role of the police was not to unconstraint the legal rules in the execution of the war on drugs, in fact, police discretions play a significant role in maintaining the war on drugs. The systematic destruction of the Fourth amendment facilitates police discretion where colonial opposition was generated to impose the seditious liberals. (Glasser, 1999). American Revolution was also the product of humiliation from police harassment and other arbitrary searches that paved the way for rebellious attitude. It is asserted that the stance of targeting Black people was so strong that police was not actually trained to spot the criminals involved in drugs badge and drug supply, in fact, they were trained in years of unreasonable searches and spot that could enforce discrimination. Operation Pipeline is one of the major examples of this idea taking into account that it trained more than three hundred local and state law enforcement agencies so that they can strive for pretextual traffic stops and other searches for interdiction of drugs. Community Policing was another major topic of interest taking into consideration that it was mutated into military policing Congress that was convinced to pass the Law Enforcement Act with Military Cooperation. The law facilitated federal, local and state police to undergo analysis and access the military framework addressing research, military abuse, weaponry equipment, and intelligence. It is also highlighted that the financial incentives for local enforcement were also not utilized paving the way for misapprehension in terms of accounting for a surge in any drug activity that would be illegal. (Riss, 2019, pp. 1064-1064)
Conclusion
It can be asserted that “The New Jim Crow” focuses war on drug and the impact of this fact on mass incarceration, taking into consideration that drug conviction was one of the major abuse of explosions in the United States over the course of time. It would not be wrong to say that drug offense formulated an account that addressed two third rise in the federal inmate population and there was more than half rise in the state prisoners between 1985 and 2000. Overall about half million people were jailed and imprisoned under the stance of drug offense when compared to an estimate of 1980, asserting a 1, 1000 percent increase. It is highlighted that more than 31 million people were arrested for drug offense calculated from the data when the drug war began. The war on drug was more like a nation that was itself not clear. A number of prisoners were caged just because of possessing drugs, provided that the drug war has nothing to do with dangerous drugs. It is asserted that this book is more like an ideology that challenged the nation and era of colorblindness. It is highlighted that it is clearly legal to incriminate and formulated a bond of differentiation against the convicted criminals in which legal framework discriminate against the African Americans. It was assumed that targeting Black people under war of drug was just a system of racial control. The functionality of the United States criminal justice system is actually operated as a system that was designed with an aim to control the racism influence by adhering to the principles of colorblindness. It would not be wrong today that The New Jim Crow is more like an approach that challenged the community of civil rights in order to impart incarceration at the front baseline of racial justice in America.
Work Cited
Alexander, Michelle. The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness. The New Press, 2012.
Erevelles, Nirmala. "Crippin’Jim Crow: Disability, dis-location, and the school-to-prison pipeline." Disability incarcerated. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2014. 81-99.
Glasser, Ira. "American Drug Laws: The New Jim Crow." Alb. L. Rev. 63 (1999): 703.
Horsford, Sonya Douglass. "School Integration in the New Jim Crow: Opportunity or Oxymoron?." Educational Policy 33.1 (2019): 257-275.
Riss, Arthur. "Making Black History: The Color Line, Culture, and Race in the Age of Jim Crow." (2019): 1064-1064.
