Many people take being an American as an advantage or a blessing, they pledge their lives to their country and fight for it across foreign seas. Americans pledge their Allegiance to the Nation’s flag and conclude with the phrase, “ One Nation, under God, indivisible, for liberty and justice for all.” However, It is difficult to digest that a “Just system” would implement a War on Drugs targeted to demolish Black people in Black ghettos leading to a constant violation and unceasing depression within their community. The War on Drugs was the predecessor of Mass Incarceration within Black and brown communities. Just imagine a Nation where Juveniles and Adults sell marijuana, and are going to jail FOR LIFE, as seen in the case of Weldon Angelos. America is the Nation of Mass Incarceration. Mass Incarceration has had an effect on Black ghettos all across America, the presumed “land of the free.” What I cannot argue against is that this Nation’s “Justice system” is indeed brave. They are brave enough to implement the system of mass incarceration while violating the dignity and pride of various Black people, predominately Black men. It has minimized overflowing chances of mobility and possibilities for Black men, all while robbing them of their humanity. This system ultimately depreciates the value of of Black men merely to their bodies. It does not value them as men, a concept explored by Ta-nehisi Coates in his book Between the World and Me. Black male scholars, thinkers, criminals, and non criminals must be informed that the scales of justice do not represent them, but represent an imaginary system introduced by professional oppressors, such as, dishonest prosecutors and fraudulent police officers.
Mass incarceration has created a racial undercaste that has and continues to stagnate an entire group of people, a concept explained in Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow. Furthermore, the effect of being incarcerated with a felony has done more damage to Black men post-incarceration. Their felony charge follows them everywhere. Finding a job, applying for housing, taking custody of their kids, voting, and sitting on juries are all affected by their unfair criminal history. They have been scorned forever, revoked from the ongoing society, and their constitutional rights detached from them. Documented in Justice Sotomayor’s dissenting opinion in the case of Utah V. Strieff she expresses, “The Court today holds that the discovery of a warrant for an unpaid parking ticket will forgive a police officer’s violation of your Fourth Amendment rights,” Justice Sotomayor goes on to express, “Do not be soothed by the opinion’s technical language: This case allows the police to stop you on the street, demand your identification, and check it for outstanding traffic warrants—even if you are doing nothing wrong.” Sotomayor proves further the point of how mass incarceration has violated Black Men 4th amendment rights of the constitution. Furthermore, for Sotomayor to have a dissenting opinion in the case of Utah V. Strieff shows how racism and white supremacy still is upheld within the justice system. Sotomayor recognizes huge Black scholars and some of their famous works like James Baldwin and his work The Fire Next Time, Ta-nehisi Coates’ Between The World And Me, Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow, and W.E.B Dubois’ The Souls of Black Folk. All of these books are excellent reads and I highly recommend them.
James Baldwin in his “The Fire Next Time” expresses this quote to his nephew, “You can only be destroyed by believing that you really are what the white world calls nigger.” I urge Black men around the world, whether they attend Morehouse or the "Trap House", to negate the stereotypical ideologies placed upon their life implemented by white supremacists. Take back your black ghettos, build up your brothers, and better yourself because the Justice system has never supported us, but continues to destroy us. I urge you to, GO, DREAM and make people RESPECK YOUR BLACKNESS!
