The Rebirth of Caste

"Genuine equality for black people, King reasoned, demanded a radical restructuring of society, one that would address the needs of the black and white poor throughout the country" (39).

I want to begin with the premise that mass incarceration, or "not only the criminal justice system,  but  also...[a] larger web of laws, rules, policies, and customs that those labeled criminals both in and out of prison," as Alexander claims, is a serious issue in contemporary America (to say the least). By this point, we are well aware of Alexander's intent with this book: to prompt a large scale social movement geared towards halting the deplorable operation of institutions and practices that create a "racial caste" in this country. My purpose with this blog is simply to put a footnote in the subsequent discussions we will engage in. Mass incarceration is AN issue, but it is not THE issue. By this, I mean that we are working to combat systems and structures of domination within our society and the issue of mass incarceration is a slice of the pie. I wanted to make that claim because, based on my interactions with some students who previously took this class, as well as a handful of other white liberals, there seem to be some sense that to eliminate mass incarceration is to eradicate racial injustice. I would argue that this is not the case. Here, I would defer to Alexander's invocation of Dr. King, whose sociopolitical ideological stance towards the end of his life recognized the intersection of racial and economic injustice evidenced in the United States and around the world. Contemporarily, as Alexander surely recognizes, the end of mass incarceration does not necessarily  eliminate the circumstances and structure of poverty within the understand that contribute to its existence in the first place. Although limited in his vision, Dr. King was working towards the end of his life towards demanding racial and economic justice for all through the Poor Peoples' Campaign. There are many struggles to advocate for particularly in our society which to some degree appears to become increasingly conscious of injustice, but by no means should we overlook that beyond mass incarceration there is more work awaiting us. As the words of Sweet Honey and the Rock testify, "we who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes."

White Like Me Conclusion

I would like to use my blog pass from the Rachel Daniel lunch on October 23.