I've always considered myself a politically active person; however, being politically active doesn't necessarily mean that I am completely aware of all that goes on. There are aspects of politics that I learn more about every day. I also consider myself somewhat of an activist, at least I try to be. I use my voice on social media and I'm not afraid to speak my truths in public. I pride myself on not being ignorant to the world around me; nevertheless, this summer I was introduced to a matter that I didn't know that I needed care about, Mass Incarceration.

For my high school graduation gift, my cousin gave me a memoir, Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. It's a true story of a young lawyer in the 1980s who took on the case of a wrongfully convicted man, Walter McMillian who was sentenced to death. Throughout the process of reading this memoir, my heart raced and ached for this man who was so obviously innocent but had all of the odds stacked up against him because he was black in the 1980s in Alabama. Though Stevenson emphasized McMillian's story in his book, he wove in the other cases he worked on for other innocent or harshly punished people who were failed by America's justice system. It brought to light the dilemma that has existed for decades in a nation that was built on fairness and was ignored by the people that call America fair.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Mass Incarceration explores the extreme rate at which the American Justice System convicts young people of color, as well as the harsh sentences, imposed upon them. Whether people admit it or not, systemic racism has been a part of our country since its birth. According to the Federal Bureau of Prison's statistics on inmates as of July 2018, 37.8% of inmates are African American; however, as of July 2017, African Americans made up 13.4% of the national population according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This is a colossal discrepancy yet one that is very overlooked by the general population of America.

This disparity is justified by some by saying "certain stereotypes aren't untrue"; notwithstanding that even though not all mistakes are excusable, the American system as a whole is set up to fail people of color, especially African Americans. Many areas that have lower socioeconomic statuses tend to have higher African American and Hispanic populations, and these are the same areas where the public school systems are inevitably worse due to the lack of proper care, attention and money compared to schools in areas with higher socioeconomic statuses. It is so important to know the truth that opportunity arises more opportunity; unfortunately, in the society that we live in opportunity has many ties to money. This ultimately fails populations that are struggling every day to pay the bills let alone provide a way for their children to have access to better education and affordable after-school opportunities for students. This is when kids start to turn to drugs and other forms of illegal activity, in order to find a place of belonging and trust, because the system has failed them.

With more knowledge behind the history of America and the differences in treatment of certain marginalized populations, my hope is that people will see and understand how important prison reform is, as well as the reformation of our public education system. This is, fortunately, a subject that has caught the attention of both of the parties in the American political system. By giving you this information, I hope that in the elections to come, these topics are what you will look for in the candidates you see in your ballots, regardless of party.

Let's make politics about the love for humankind again!