Hello again, welcome back to yet another one of my blog posts! In this post, I will be further discussing The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. Specifically, I will be discussing the sixth chapter; also called: "The New Jim Crow."
In this chapter, Michelle Alexander focuses on further discussing the racially oppressive system of Mass Incarceration, particularly as it relates to the Jim Crow South.
Alexander begins the chapter by challenging the notion that African-American men render themselves unable to perform in a paternal role. She challenges the rhetoric of Barack Obama, who criticized Black men's struggle with fatherhood in a Father's Day campaign speech to African-American constituents.
Alexander writes:
"The fact that Barack Obama can give a speech on Father’s Day dedicated to the subject of fathers who are “AWOL” without ever acknowledging that the majority of young black men in large urban areas are currently under the control of the criminal justice system is disturbing, to say the least." (180)
This quote primarily serves to expose the stark reality that mass incarceration is not an issue that is represented in American politics, even when the politician is an African-American male, the most likely demographic to be targeted.
Another notable rhetorical choice that Alexander makes in this chapter is to compare the struggles of persons of color to being enclosed in a cage. She describes each wire as representing an attribute of the systematic racism that is Mass Incarceration:
When I read this section of the chapter, I immediately thought of a poem I had interacted with during my freshman year of high school: "The Caged Bird" by Maya Angelou.
Angelou was an African-American poet and civil rights activist, and she published numerous autobiographies and poetry collections. Her poem "The Caged Bird" first appeared in her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. ("Maya Angelou")
The poem is as follows:
A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
and he names the sky his own
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
Angelou's powerful poem illustrates the difference between freedom and captivity. The line "and dares to claim the sky" is highly reflective of the freedom and privilege of someone who experiences no restraint: they have the right to venture into the world and conquer whatever obstacles they may face. In contrast, the bird whose "wings are clipped and [whose] feet are tied" is representative of someone who does not experience the same opportunities as a free person; in this context, incarceration is the clipping of wings and the tying of feet, and it is the hindrance to equality.
Alexander's application of the birdcage metaphor yields the somber reality that: the determinant to whether someone is free or constrained is the color of their skin.
After the discussion of the metaphorical "birdcage," Alexander directly analyzes the similarities between the Jim Crow South and mass incarceration. She details a variety of topics/similarities through the categories of: "Historical parallels," "Legalized discrimination," "Political disenfranchisement," "Exclusion from juries," "Closing the courthouse doors," "Racial segregation," and "Symbolic production of race." In the last section "Symbolic production of race," Alexander includes a very powerful quote. She writes:
I found this chapter to be my favorite so far because I believe that it did a fantastic job of synthesizing the preceding chapters and condensing Alexander's argument(s). Alexander's claim of mass incarceration as a system of preserved racism is reiterated in this chapter; it ties together her claims from previous chapters detailing implicit bias, issues in law enforcement, the War on Drugs, and judicial inequality to highlight the idea that there is a suffering "undercaste" of incarcerated African-Americans.
In this chapter, Michelle Alexander focuses on further discussing the racially oppressive system of Mass Incarceration, particularly as it relates to the Jim Crow South.
Alexander begins the chapter by challenging the notion that African-American men render themselves unable to perform in a paternal role. She challenges the rhetoric of Barack Obama, who criticized Black men's struggle with fatherhood in a Father's Day campaign speech to African-American constituents.
Barack Obama giving his 2008 Father's Day Speech
Image from The Spokesman-Review
Alexander writes:
"The fact that Barack Obama can give a speech on Father’s Day dedicated to the subject of fathers who are “AWOL” without ever acknowledging that the majority of young black men in large urban areas are currently under the control of the criminal justice system is disturbing, to say the least." (180)
This quote primarily serves to expose the stark reality that mass incarceration is not an issue that is represented in American politics, even when the politician is an African-American male, the most likely demographic to be targeted.
Another notable rhetorical choice that Alexander makes in this chapter is to compare the struggles of persons of color to being enclosed in a cage. She describes each wire as representing an attribute of the systematic racism that is Mass Incarceration:
What is particularly important to keep in mind is that any given wire of the cage may or may not be specifically developed for the purpose of trapping the bird, yet it still operates (together with the other wires) to restrict its freedom. By the same token, not every aspect of a racial caste system needs to be developed for the specific purpose of controlling black people in order for it to operate (together with other laws, institutions, and practices) to trap them at the bottom of a racial hierarchy. In the system of mass incarceration, a wide variety of laws, institutions, and practices—ranging from racial profiling to biased sentencing policies, political disenfranchisement, and legalized employment discrimination—trap African Americans in a virtual (and literal) cage. (184)
When I read this section of the chapter, I immediately thought of a poem I had interacted with during my freshman year of high school: "The Caged Bird" by Maya Angelou.
Image of Maya Angelou from Poetry Foundation
Angelou was an African-American poet and civil rights activist, and she published numerous autobiographies and poetry collections. Her poem "The Caged Bird" first appeared in her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. ("Maya Angelou")
The poem is as follows:
A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
and he names the sky his own
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
Alexander's application of the birdcage metaphor yields the somber reality that: the determinant to whether someone is free or constrained is the color of their skin.
After the discussion of the metaphorical "birdcage," Alexander directly analyzes the similarities between the Jim Crow South and mass incarceration. She details a variety of topics/similarities through the categories of: "Historical parallels," "Legalized discrimination," "Political disenfranchisement," "Exclusion from juries," "Closing the courthouse doors," "Racial segregation," and "Symbolic production of race." In the last section "Symbolic production of race," Alexander includes a very powerful quote. She writes:
For black youth, the experience of being “made black” often begins with the first police stop, interrogation, search, or arrest. The experience carries social meaning—this is what it means to be black. The story of one’s “first time” may be repeated to family or friends, but for ghetto youth, almost no one imagines that the first time will be the last. (199)People who live in urban environments with predominantly African-American populations are no stranger to being targeted by law enforcement. By writing "this is what it means to be black" Alexander communicates the normality and frequency of this discrimination, and her audience is rendered sick to their stomach. African-American youth sees discrimination as a sort of rite of passage because they've acclimated to being discriminated against by their supposed protectors.
I found this chapter to be my favorite so far because I believe that it did a fantastic job of synthesizing the preceding chapters and condensing Alexander's argument(s). Alexander's claim of mass incarceration as a system of preserved racism is reiterated in this chapter; it ties together her claims from previous chapters detailing implicit bias, issues in law enforcement, the War on Drugs, and judicial inequality to highlight the idea that there is a suffering "undercaste" of incarcerated African-Americans.
Works Cited
Angelou, Maya. “Caged Bird by Maya Angelou.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48989/caged-bird.
“Maya Angelou.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/maya-angelou.
I am surprised this was your favorite chapter! I personally did not like this chapter very much because I found it really redundant (as you know because you read my rant of a blog post).
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing about this post is your formatting. I like that you broke up paragraphs with block quotes that had bigger font. It made it a lot easier to read. I also really liked that you talked about the Maya Angelou poem. That was also the first thing I thought off which I think is interesting.
I also found it interesting that you and I chose to focus on different aspects of the chapter. You focused largely on the arguably better sections at the beginning and end. However, for me, the middle section was so unenjoyable that I almost had to focus on it. I guess that means I'm a pessimist. Good on you for seeing the positive.
Hi Georgia,
DeleteI think this was my favorite post to write so far and I’m glad you enjoyed it. I think that I generally see myself as an optimist, and I wholeheartedly agree with you that the beginning and end of this chapter are more enjoyable than the middle. You’ve cracked me up a little bit by labeling yourself a pessimist! I’m very happy that we’ve been able to have these discussions with you, and I’m looking forward our discussion next week. Thanks again!
A well-written post, Colby. I like your inclusion of quotes, images, and the poem, as it shows your ability to connect the argument of the text to other topics and ideas. Nicely done.
ReplyDelete